Temptation

 I've mentioned before that following blogs often leads me into temptation - seeing stamps or dies which I feel I NEED.  Not so this time when I saw a recent post from the lovely Jules which prompted me to search through my stamps so that I could bring a set out of 'retirement'.  As soon as I saw these flowers I realised that I've had this set of stamps for at least as long as the 10 years mentioned by Jules so I had a rootle around and found them.  I've used scraps of patterned paper to stamp and cut out the flower heads before stamping again in black ink onto an oval of cream card so that I could place the 'cut-outs' onto the stems.  just finished off with some toning patterned paper and a sentiment stamped onto a banner.  Two tiny punched flowers in the smallest scraps of the paper were added to this banner.

Jules mentioned problems writing a post and I've also started to experience similar glitches just recently.  I switched to the new version some time ago and it was fine at first but the main problem now seems to be the double spacing (see below) which I don't seem to be able to clear.  I also have to edit the photos to be the correct size whereas in the past they came in OK.

Stamps - Hampstead floral set by Papermania     

 Banner - Creative Expressions

Tiny Flowers - Stampin' Up punch

Pixie's Challenge #384

Time to visit the Playground again with another card and of course an opportunity to go into the 'hat' for a chance of a lovely prize.  The snippets used on this Christmas card didn't even make it to the snippets boxes because they are left over from various pieces which I printed from a lovely download.  Started off by printing some of the images on cream card - four in fact so I've actually made 4 cards using different images from the same set.  Because I had no card or papers to tone with the colours I also printed off some of the lovely background papers, including some plain coloured ones to die cut for backing the images.  This of course left me with snippets which I then used to die cut the poinsettia and a piece of the cream was used to stamp the greeting and a narrow strip of green behind the image.

Image and Papers - download from Polkadoodles Winnie Winterland

Poinsettia - A very old Marianne die set, comes out every year

Sentiment - from Contempo Christmas Stampin' Up

Back to Floral Theme

 I had some die cut flowers which I'd stamped and coloured as well as a few leaves which were left from previous projects so decided to use some of them up for this card.  I started with a 5" x 7" card blank and  cut out two lacy borders from another piece of card slightly smaller .A piece of patterned paper was placed behind and the greeting stamped using the Misti. The flowers and leaves were arranged and that's it - another quick and easy card.  Always handy to have  a few spare die cuts around ready to put together.

Border die - from Joanna Sheen

Flowers and leaves - Card Making Magic Spring/Summer die and stamp set

Photographer

A card to share today which I made for a keen photographer using a downloaded image and some bits and pieces from my scrap boxes.  Image and backing were cut using dies and the embossed and inked panel was left over from another project - luckily it had been inked with just the right colour to match the image.  Square of text paper in the background and a stamped greeting.  Once I'd assembled the components this was quick to make.

Image - download from Lili of the Valley

Rectangles - Tonic dies

Embossed Panel - Embossing Folder by Crafter's Companion

Text Paper - from Prima

PS - for some reason my photos have started showing up too large but I think I solved the problem by opening the post again after publishing and editing to select a smaller size for the image.  Wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem recently.

Needlework Theme

I was asked recently to make a card for someone who is particularly interested in sewing, patchwork and quilting so I had a trawl through my various stamps and dies etc to see what I could conjure up. I started by looking at Craft Artist and found a sewing machine image which I scaled and printed onto a piece of patterned paper.  One of the magazines a while back gave away a set of dies and stamps which were sewing related and I cut the thread reel and two 'patches' using that set.  The buttons were die cut using another die which I've had for ages.  Stork scissors cut in gold card from another ancient die.  Finally finished off with the numbers in gold on a banner - all placed onto some background papers which look somewhat like patchwork fabrics.

Main Image - printed using Craft Artist

Thread and Patches - using free die set from a magazine

Buttons - die cut using an ancient die from Stampin' Up

Scissors - die from Marianne

Numbers - Crafter's Companion (I think)

Paper Piecing

A bit of paper piecing on this card.  The image was stamped onto some cream card and then again onto oddments of patterned paper.  Parts of the image were cut out using scissors before piecing them into place over the original stamping - smaller details were coloured with pencils.  Kraft card was used to cut a scalloped circle and some corners and a computer sentiment added.

Image - stamp from Woodware

Background paper - download from Buddly Crafts

Scalloped Circle - Die from Tattered Lace

Corners - die from Whimsy (had it for many years)

Sentiment - composed using Word

Playground Challenge #383

Despite being more or less 'confined to barracks' the weeks still seem to go by quickly and it is time for another challenge over at Pixie's Playground.  As usual there is a super prize on offer which this time the lovely Di has used on a doggy birthday card for their gorgeous Dudley who is two years old.

For my card I've used some snippets in black, yellow and white to stamp and die cut various bits and pieces and the largest snippet is from some papers which came free with a magazine a while ago and this is what inspired the rest of the card.  A stencil was used on a snippet of white card to make the border on the black banner.  There are some small gold mirri hexagons inserted randomly into the honeycomb but they don't seem to show up in the picture.  The wings of the bees were brushed a couple of times with clear Wink of Stella and sadly that doesn't show in the picture either.

Stamps and Dies - Honeybee set from Stampin' Up
Sentiment - computer generated using Word
Banners - die set from Stampin' Up.