ABC Christmas Challenge – J and K

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘J’ and ‘K’, and we want to see your Christmas creations featuring the following themes:

J is for Jesus

K is for Kings

Here are my cards:

I was really stumped by these themes, I don’t have very much in the way of traditional Christmas, except for some Tim Holtz products.

I used a Tim Holtz die for the three wise men, layered a couple of times, and adhered it to an ink blended background panel.

The Jesus themed card took a little longer to sort out. I eventually found an SVG file which I bought and downloaded to my Scan’n’cut. This in itself is something I have rarely done, but I managed to figure it out – resizing then sending to my machine.

The SVG file was from ‘Craftables’ and is a free download – how cool is that?

The ink blending on this panel was just an idea I had – instead of going across, I decided to go in a downwards direction, and I like the outcome.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas projects following our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Fingers – anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas atg

You Are A Wonderful Friend

Hello everyone. I have a card to share inspired by some challenges:

The background is a dry embossed panel using a Spellbinders embossing folder – one of my favourites – and Spellbinders ‘Fog’ card stock, adhered flat to a card base.

The frame is from Pinkfresh Studio, and is actually a square die set, but I did some partial die cutting to make it a rectangle, big enough for the A2 card base.

The flowers – also from Pinkfresh Studio – were stamped in a grey ink, then ink blended using the matching layering stencils, Pinkfresh inks, and then die cut with the matching die set.

I played around with the layout of the flowers until I was happy, and added them with a mixture of glue and 3D foam.

I added the foiled sentiment with 3D foam strips and some iridescent gems, as the foiling is iridescent.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – grey, magenta, aqua

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of feminine taken

Fab’n’Funky – embossing

Festive Friday – three items from list (4 for this card)- grey, flowers, pink, foiling,

Car Shaker

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘C‘, and Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘Cars‘. Here is my card:

The shaker element was created using Spellbinders ‘Stylish Ovals’ dies – two dies together to create the frame – cutting the shape several times in white, then a top layer of a light blue/teal. I prefer to use die cuts for the walls of the shaker instead of 3D foam as I think it keeps the edges neater.

Once the white layers were stacked together, and glued to the card base, I added the sequins, then added the top layer to which I had adhered the acetate.

I used a Spellbinders die for the car, from the Spellbinders Advent Calendar 2023, assembled all the layers, then glued that down to the acetate – slightly overhanging the lighter blue/teal as though this was the road……

A foiled sentiment was added for completion.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes

Seize The Birthday – birthday – option off the edge not taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Classic Design Challenge – anything goes – option birthday taken

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Halloween (and other occasions) Crafts – any occasion

Pop-Up Celebration

Hello everyone. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, Pamela has chosen the theme of ‘celebration’. I believe there is Mother’s Day coming up in the USA, also think graduation, babies, weddings etc…. Here is my card:

Please excuse the angled tweezers, but they are holding the card closed to photograph as the inside is a pop-up:

The inside was so very difficult to photograph, here are my other attempts:

The pop-up dies are from Concord & 9th and a virtual event from 2022. I did have to go back to the videos to see how it was put together, but thankfully they will be available indefinitely.

I first created the background panel for the front of the card by ink blending through a stencil. I then stamped the balloons, heat embossed the sentiment in white, then used the matching dies to cut them out.

Then turning to the inside of the card and the pop-up element, I used the same stencil and all three ink colours to cover the whole of the inside, die cut the letters from some striped rainbow card stock, die cut the pop-up pieces, adhered the letters, then assembled the pop-up as instructed in the videos.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes -option of splash of colour/colourful

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – feminine

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

It’s Just A Bauble…..

Hello everyone. A new challenge was due to start at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas is our theme – as always, but our leader has been unwell, so there won’t be a challenge for this next two weeks.

I have decided to still post my card for some challenges:

This bauble was created using a Spellbinders die set. There are two baubles in the set, but I chose to use just one of them for this card.

The background is embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder and blue card stock, then a blue ink blended around the outside to create an almost glowing centre.

The bauble and all the elements were die cut out of red, navy, blue, and silver glitter card stock, then all placed on the main background piece as you see. And – yes – all those itty bitty silver hearts were inlaid back too……a little fiddly, but I think worth it.

I adhered the background panel to a card base, then added the bauble with 3D foam, also adding some silver twine behind the top of it- I failed doing a bow soooo many times, that I decided the twine was good as it looks here.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Cut It Up – die cuts – something starting with B (bauble)

Creative Fingers – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder, option feminine not taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Another Blooming Birthday

Hello again. I haven’t posted for a few days, but I have been playing in my craft room. I have done a little mixed media project from a virtual event last weekend, and I will show what I have made at some point, but for today I have this card to share:

The background panel was created by adding some diagonal yellow strips of card, then dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder. This way, the embossed pattern ran across the whole panel.

The layered flowers are from a die set from Waffle Flower, and I used some older Altenew ombre card packs to create them, colouring the centre parts with a Copic marker.

Once they were layered, I decided to add a white layer beneath the teal/aqua flowers, so they stood out a little more from the background.

I chose a dark green for the leaves to make them really pop.

I was going to go with just the teal/aqua flowers, but decided to add the yellow ink blended flower to complete the trio.

The foiled sentiment was added, and as I chose a black foiled strip, I added some black gems, also from Spellbinders.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Pinspirational – embossing

Give A Crafter A Cookie – birthday

Dragonfly Dreams – use a die

Color Throwdown – yellow, green, aqua

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes – option to add flowers taken

Tic Tac Toe – left hand column – flowers + embossing + gem/embellishment

Birthday flowers

Hello again. A little time to craft today to create this card:

Using the colors for the current Color Throwdown Challenge, I used some new layering stencils from The Greetery. The inks are from Pinkfresh Studio, the same colour but stamped a couple of times to create a darker colour, and the centre of the flowers was using some gold Tonic Studios paste.

This panel was then cut down slightly layered with a blue card stock, then adhered to the card base.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – red, gold, navy

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – stencil it

Cupcake Inspirations – flowers

Addicted To Stamps and More – make your mark

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Stencil Fun – use a stencil – option Spring/flowers taken

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

Stained Glass Bird

Hello again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘B’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Birds’. Here is my card:

This cute little bird is a die and stencil set from Simon Says Stamp. I ink blended the bird areas, masking off some parts so there was no contamination between the areas, adding some darker shading to some of the areas. I then die cut the white stained glass portion several times, adhering all but one of them to the ink blended image.

I then went in with some glossy accents, let that dry, then added the final white layer. I then added a black gem for the eye.

The background panel was created using an embossing folder from Spellbinders, using their sage green card stock and cut down slightly so there would be a white border on the card base.

The scalloped circle was cut, and dry embossed with another embossing folder.

The floral images are from Concord & 9th, stamped then die cut, and I made sure I made a lot of them in similar colours to the bird, so I could put as many down as I wanted.

I then added the bird, and slotted the floral images all over the bottom of the circle, adding some gold gems in the centre of the flowers and some around the edge of the circle.

A foiled sentiment to complete the card.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects incorporating a bird/birds. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of weather not taken

Tic Tac Toe – stencil, die cut, critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media (ink, foiling, glossy accents)

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media (ink, foiling, glossy accents)

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Stencil Fun – use a stencil – option spring/flowers taken

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – stencil it

Cardz 4 Galz – Movie Madness

Hi there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Movie Madness‘. I created this card based on the recent movie starring Jason Statham – ‘The Beekeeper‘. I really enjoy his films – usually thrilling and exciting – and I definitely am not rom-com kinda girl……!

I started by die cutting the images from Brutus Monroe – another virtual event product – and assembled the bee bodies. I die cut vellum for their wings.

The balloon image was stamped, coloured with Copics, then die cut.

The background was created by using a stencil and ink blending – going with alight blue instead of the usual yellow for the honeycomb to ensure the bees and sentiment really pop.

The sentiment was also die cut and assembled and all the images attached with 3D foam.

The Design Team has come up with some amazing creations inspired by a a wide variety of movies – I hope you can come and join us. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – make your own background

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Tic Tac Toe – stencil, die cut, critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Stencil Fun – use a stencil – option Spring/flowers taken

Christmas Four Ways

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas’ challenge. Here is my card – and the additional makes:

This is only one of four cards created using an idea from a recent online event. The idea is that you stamp half of an A4 piece of card – then cut it up to create four cards.

I decided to try this with a range of snowflake stamps from Gina K Designs, a few different blue inks.

I also added some silver dots as added extras then followed the cutting guide from that class. Here are the other three cards:

I added some extra detail into the white part of the card base, by adding an embossed panel, and on one card I added dies cuts – like the main picture.