Tag-Along Challenge

 A new challenge started yesterday and you can read all about it HERE.  This gives us an opportunity to make either Tags, AT Cards or AT Coins - all great ways of making Art, a change from greeting cards and, particularly in the case of the ATCs to work on a somewhat smaller scale.  Tags of course come in various sizes so plenty of scope there too.  

My share today is an ATC (measuring 3.5 x 2.5 inches) which I started by trimming a Gelli print to the correct size and adhering to the card blank to form the 'sky'.  A recent tidy-up and rummage amongst my pot(s) of useful bits and bobs came up with this city skyline just calling out to be brought into play.  I'd been racking my brains recently for ways of using the die cut drummer and the idea of a traditional marching band popped into my head.  This small die came along with a random selection of others when I purchased a 'mixed bag' of miscellaneous small dies with no idea of the contents.  I think I mentioned that I like the odd surprise even if it does tax my brain occasionally 🤣.  I simply stamped a few musical notes and added a 'sticker' phrase which I'd produced on the computer.  Time now methinks to work on some ideas for tags .

Cityscape - from a magazine give-away set ( from way back in 2018)
Drummers - mixed bag of small dies (unbranded)
'Sticker' - hand made by me using MS Word

Snippets Challenge #505

 I'm popping along to the Snippets Playground with the card made using the dies from Day 8 of the Gummiapan Easter calendar (the final instalment).  This was such a fun set of dies including a cat, a Vespa style scooter and a cloud.  Added to this there was a scarf and a really dinky crash helmet.  I delved into some of my older magazine give-away dies for a couple of bushes and a sun.  Also I remembered as I was stamping the sentiment that sometime in the past I'd received a mini scooter die as a gift from Gummiapan so brought that into play at the last minute.  Everything on this card came from my Snippets mountain and I must apologise for not thinking about saving the small remnants to take a photo before sweeping them into the bin.

Ovals - dies from Tonic which I use quite regularly
Sentiment - came with the magazine give away dies (bushes and sun)

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