Allsorts Latest Challenge

 My card for this latest challenge is based on one which I spotted on Lesley's blog recently where she had used a large stamp as a background.  Seeing this reminded me that I have a very similar embossing folder from a few years ago so this is what I used for my card.  At Allsorts the theme is **anything goes with an option to create your own background** so I've inked the embossing folder and stamped trees and a deer before transferring the ink to a piece of white card by running it through the machine.  All that was needed to finish the card was a sentiment.  This way of using embossing folders was one which I'd almost forgotten about but it is a relatively quick way of making a card.  Thanks Lesley for the inspiration 😉.

Embossing - Woodland Textures Stampin' Up (retired for quite a while)

Special Delivery!

 Time to visit the Playground again and although we've just had two Christmas themed challenges, I've come up with another idea for a Christmas card even though 'anything goes' as long as Snippets are used. Apart from the white base card, everything else came from my various Snippets collections. The red layer was a fairly large snippet and I found two snippets of different Christmas papers and a piece of white which I cut with a curvy die.  Next I raided the smaller snippets collections to die cut the bicycle, tree and presents for this eco-friendly delivery.  The sentiment was one which I'd stamped and fussy cut last Christmas and not used (found in one of my pots of bits 'which will come in handy' sooner or later) 😉😉

Bicycle - Memory Box die
Tree and Presents - from a Sizzix Christmas Elf die set

Gelli Plate Play

 I have another card to share where I've used a gelli plate, this time stamping onto the plate before pulling a print.  The idea came from a video I'd watched quite a while ago and I don't seem to be able to find it again but think it was from Jo Rice on You Tube.  The round gelli plate was first inked using a couple of colours using a brayer and then the lower part had some colour added using a tree stamp.  Once the print had dried I used a circular paper mask before stamping the rest of the details

Stamps - from Lavinia stamps
Distress inks used on the gelli plate

PS - apologies, only just realised this post had no title (senior moment I guess)

Afternoon Tea

 Afternoon tea appears to be one of the fashionable things to do nowadays and it seems to come with all the trimmings although it is not something I've experienced.  For one thing I don't like tea and never drink it 😉   Anyway I came across some tea party themed dies in my collection which had never been out of their packaging even though I've had them so long that I can't remember if they were a magazine gift or maybe they were part of a special offer at the time. It occurs to me that I could link my card to a challenge I've not taken part in before - NBUS - Never Been Used Schtuff .  As luck would have it I have a paper pad with suitable designs and I chose the one with teapots and cups.  I then die cut a circle, a cream doily, square stitched frame and sentiment strips and, of course, the all important teapot and cups using a selection of card scraps.  Why not follow the link and take a look at this challenge and perhaps have a go. There is a very apt quote at the top of the page which says it all for me - I wonder why so many of us purchase crafty items and then don't actually use them 🤣🤣

Background - Tea Dance Pad from Craftwork Cards (no longer in existence)
Doily - die from Papermania/Docraft (again no longer existing)
Tea Set - die set by Crafter's Companion from some years back
Stitched Square Frame - Noble Stitched Squares from Creative Expressions 

Allsorts Challenge #687

 The theme of the current Allsorts Challenge is **Butterflies/Bugs** and they would like them to be a prominent feature of the design.  I think I can safely say that mine are the main feature of the card 😉. I stamped and embossed the various 'bugs' and then die cut them using a matching set of dies.  I've had this set for some time but don't often get to use them although they are handy for those 'male card' occasions.

Bugs - stamps and matching dies from Tim Holtz Sizzix
Plaques - some ancient Spellbinder dies

Vases

I made this card a little while ago but hadn't got around to posting it - I've used a matching 'suite' of products which includes papers, stamps, dies and some ready-made embellishments.  I'd spotted it at a reduced price because it was being retired so couldn't resist because I'd liked it so much. I seem to have gone overboard somewhat on the number of vases die cut, a couple of them stamped as well, and the green leaf and sentiment were ready made embellishments which were in the pack.The die cut rectangles were cut from a piece of embossed DSP, also part of the suite.

I'm taking this card along to the Shopping our Stash challenge which this time is **WTHeck Embellishments** as they are asking for some ready made embellishments to be used.

DSP, stamps and dies all from Boho Indigo suite Stampin' Up (retired)
Leaf and Sentiment - also from the same suite
Rectangles - dies from SU 

Christmas in July - Again

It's Christmas in July for a second challenge in the Playground and with another bumper prize to be won too.   I have to admit I had to print some design paper for this card and of course I used a card blank but everything else here was cut from snippets of card from my cream and gold collections.  The poinsettias and the backing for the sentiment were cut using cream pearlescent card and the top layers were cut from some gold pearlescent card.

Poinsettias - dies from Sizzix (this year's issue I think)
Sentiment - dies from Tonic (a few years old)
DSP - printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings CD (an all time favourite)