April Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Today is 2nd of the month so time for the Card Chain Challenge big reveal. This month 32 card makers took part and I sent my card to Marianne in Greece. I think it is still on its way!

 I have used the colours, friendship and something I was given from all the options on offer.

I was very lucky to receive a special birthday package from Gundi which contained a whole pile of transfer foil and some Crafters Companion transfer designs. You can see on the photo above that I have used some on the insert for the card. I have not used transfers before and like everything, there is definitely a knack, but I have been going a bit transfer crazy and using them on loads of cards. Thanks so much for your generosity Gundi.

I created my background with an ALL & Create stencil and Catherine Pooler ink and foiled the sentiment directly onto the panel, after I had cut it with a Lisa Horton die. Unfortunately the friend plate moved, but I decided it didn't really matter and actually I quite like it at an angle. It foiled cleanly which is the main thing. I have used some, new to me, coated card from PaperMill Direct, which I really like. It foils beautifully, takes ink well and looks good with the BetterPress plates too. It also come in 2 different weights and is reasonably priced. I shall definitely be buying some more.

The flowers are a set by Pinkfresh Studios. I used the foil plate, stencils and matching die. I do love this set and have used it several times - always a good thing.

I finished it off with a few sequins and matted the panel on some cardstock that I had inked with CP crushed violet ink before mounting it onto a coloured card base.

I was very lucky to receive this gorgeous card from Viv in UK. Unfortunately my picture doesn't do it justice at all. It is really beautiful in real life.

If you would like to take part in the next card chain challenge, you have until 6th to sign up here

I am also sharing this at Allsorts - week 778 use a stencil. I have used 4 stencils. One on the background and 4 on the flowers.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it. 

We Love Stamping April Reminder

Today is the 18th so time for a reminder for the current challenge over at We Love Stamping. The challenge where we love to see you using your stamps. 

This year the design team will all be selecting a monthly option to reflect their own individual style of crafting or favourite themes. On the remaining months we will continue as before with a general theme along with an anything goes option, as previously.

Alice has chosen our theme this month:

** Spring or Anything Goes**

Don't you love hyacinths in the spring? I know I do. I found this little stamp in my stash. It is part of a set that came with a magazine a long time ago. I stamped and heat embossed the image before colouring it with alcohol markers.

I decided to use my Spellbinders hemstitch rectangle dies to frame it. I used one of the green pens to colour under the little square holes. In retrospect, I think I should have inlaid each frame for a neater finish, but I wasn't about to do it again, so it stays as it is.

The sentiment and label die are part of the same set. It was stamped and heat embossed too. I am happy with the finished look though. Hope you like it too. Can you almost smell it? Hope so.

Don't forget there is always a prize to be won and this month the prize if from ALL and CREATE.  Why don't you head over to the challenge blog to check it out? The prize winner is selected randomly and in addition the DT will choose a top three for special mention.

I hope I have inspired you to join us this month, all you have to do is ensure that stamping (including digi) is featured somewhere your card. Please also let us know what products you have used. It would be great if you could join in with our theme, but anythings goes is always an option if you are out of ideas. The challenge will close at noon (UK time) on Wednesday 1st May.

I am looking forward to seeing you in the gallery.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it. 

We love Stamping April Challenge

Today is the first Sunday of the month so time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping. 

Each month a member of the design team will be selecting a theme to reflect their own individual style of crafting or favourite themes. On the remaining months we will continue as before with a general theme along with an anything goes option, as previously.

Alice has chosen our theme this month:

** Spring or Anything Goes **

I would like to welcome our guest designer Anne. I hope you get a chance to visit her.

As this months theme is spring I got out my Uniko tulip stamp set. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do, but I chose a piece of hot pressed (smooth) water colour paper to stamp my tulips on. Then I decided to do an ink blended background with some soft background stamping so I masked my tulips and got to work on the background with various stamps and inks.

When I was happy with the background I painted my tulips with my Zig real brush water colours pens.

The sentiment was stamped and clear heat embossed. I then cut the panel with the scallop die and mounted it on a green mat that I had coloured with the green ink I used on the background. I think it was Catherine Pooler grass skirt. The panel was then mounted on a green card base (Hunkydory adorable scorable mattastic).

I keep wondering whether I should have put some sequins or gems on this. I think I will finally decide when I know who I am sending it to.

Don't forget there is always a prize to be won and this month the prize if from ALL and CREATE. Why don't you head over to the challenge blog to check it out? I have used ALL & Create stamp #362 (the splodges) on my background. The prize winner is selected randomly and in addition the DT will choose a top three for special mention.

I hope I have inspired you to join us this month, all you have to do is ensure stamping (including digi) is seen somewhere on your card front, it no longer needs to be the main focus. It would be great if you could join in with our theme, but anythings goes is always an option if you are out of ideas. The challenge will close at noon (UK time) on Wednesday 3rd April.

I am looking forward to seeing you in the gallery.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it. 

Collaborating with Cat

Hello

Today I am sharing a card that I made using this butterfly stamp and die set from Uniko. I bought the stamp and die set and then inadvertently bought the die set again! That meant that I had to buy the stamp set again and that's how this years collaboration with the wonderful Cat Craig came about. I know she likes Uniko products and I was fairly sure she didn't already have this set, so I sent it to her. I can't wait to see what she has made.

Here is what I made:

I started by masking my panel in order to ink the oval and lightly inked it. I think my brush must have had some residue ink on it as the colour came out a little muted, but I decided it didn't matter. The inks used are Catherine Pooler from the date night collection. The blue is cummerbund which I used to ink the edges of my mat and to stencil the butterflies on the background (the stencil is by Funky Fossil).

The large butterfly was stamped in black and heat embossed in clear. I then cut it with the matching die and coloured it with the colours from the date night set. The smaller butterfly and the sentiment were also heat embossed. I also used the smaller butterfly to stamp the insert and envelope. I do love the detail on it.

I hope you head on over to Cat's blog to see what she has made.

I am sharing this at:

Triple B April challenge - Butterflies

NBUS 61 - The butterfly stamp is NBUS

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it. 

March Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Today is 2nd of the month so time for the Card Chain Challenge big reveal. This month 35 card makers took part and I sent my card to Bonnie in Colorado. I decided to sign up behind Bonnie again as I sent her my card for December, but it never arrived. But, no sooner had I done that, the long lost card was delivered! It was posted on the 5th of December '23 and arrived on 6th March '24! I wonder what it was doing all that time. I am so glad it eventually made it to it's destination. It just goes to show that you should never give up hope.

My card this month used the colours:

This cover die by Crafters Companion is one I have had for several years. I really like the art deco feel of it and I decided it would work well for this. It is a while since I had used it and I had forgotten what a pain it was to cut. Funny how we forget those things. Anyway, I managed to get a reasonably clean cut and then spent some time with a sticky roller trying to remove of the little paper hairs.

Once I was happy with it I mounted it onto a piece of black card, coloured some of the tiny pieces with an alcohol marker and then inlaid them. although I do love inlaying diecuts I don't think I would ever attempt to do this whole cover plate. One little section was quite enough!

I found this smile die in my stash and cut it from white card and black card. The white was coloured with my alcohol markers and it was slightly offset on the black layer. I think I inadvertently used a shade darker on the sentiment. Hope it doesn't look too off. I didn't notice until after I had glued it down - the perils of having too much stuff on my desk!

I mounted it onto a coloured cardbase and made a stencil to decorate the insert and envelope. I enjoyed making this so much that I made another. I bought this die at the same time. It was slightly easier to do the inlaying on this one so I filled 3 of the semicircles. I decided to send Bonnie the pink one as her December card was yellow.

Which is your favourite. I think I like them both equally.

I was very lucky to receive this gorgeous card from Robyn in Australia. I love the vibrancy of those flowers, it is offset beautifully by the mint green and white. It arrived in really good time too considering it came all the way from Australia. I got it on the 18th. Thanks Robyn.

If you would like to take part in the next card chain challenge, you have until 6th to sign up here

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.