Christmas Bunnies Post

So after a weekend of decorating I'm back to crafting and decided to make a Christmas card with a digi stamp from Lili of the Valley.

Isn't this just the cutest image, its called Christmas Bunnies Post and I absolutely adore him, yes I think he's definitely a boy bunny :)

Firstly I coloured the image with Gansai Tambi watercolours.  Found some leftover snippets of Basic Grey Wassail patterned papers, once pieced together I ran the paper through the sewing machine using the zigzag stitch.  To hide my join I used a Memory Box Christmas tree die and matted behind the main image.  A notepad punch created the border to keep with a postal theme.

The little card was made using some very old stamps (sorry I will update with the name later but I packed away before writing up my supplies) and the envelope was created using Sizzix Bigz envelope die.

I added a corner of Prima poinsettias and some greenery die cuts from scraps of green cardstock.  Popped on a few gems and gave him a splash of Stickles to his hat and pompoms. 

I'm my biggest critic but I'm thrilled with how this card turned out and it may well be given to my youngest son this year as I doubt I'm going to be able to part with it but we'll see - I have a feeling you may see more of him :)

Challenges:-

Pixies Snippets Challenge - Use Snippets (patterned paper/green cardstock)
Christmas with the Cuties - Favourite Christmas digi
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
The Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
Rudolf Days - Anything Goes as long as its Christmas

Supplies: BG Wassail patterned papers, Sizzix Country greens die, Memory Box Christmas tree die, LOTV digi stamp, Prima Marketing poinsettias, Gansai Tambi watercolours, Kaiser Craft gems and pearls, Frosty Stickles.

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Christmas Bunnies Post

Recycling Cardboard

Not had much time to craft this week, busy painting which is entertaining with an inquisitive cat whose pushed his nine lives to breaking point.  It might be true that curiosity kills the cat - I jest, but honestly, a black cat with a tin of magnolia is not the best mix!

My eldest son is home from University which brings me onto my card.  I love him dearly but it seems that in two years being away he's forgotten where the recycling bin is situated, at this point I'll add its been in the same place for the last 12 years.  Anyway, he seems to have acquired shares in Amazon with the amount of deliveries I accept while he's sleeping and the empty boxes end up in the utility, this annoys the hell out of me and while breaking one apart I decided to utilise it on my next card which temporarily altered my mood.

I kept it very simple, just a kraft card base, layered with a die cut.  I drew round the inside of the die on the cardboard, cut it out and ripped half of the top layer off to reveal the corrugated design.  

On the bit I didn't rip, I used a stencil and Liquid Pearls to create the pattern.  Wrapped some string and threaded through the gift tag and tied into a bow so the tag does slide back and forth.  Cut the daisies from linen cardstock and just inked them, added a few gems to finish.  Not too shabby for a card made from packaging :)  Although I've now given my son a reason not to throw stuff away - sigh!

Challenges:-

HLS - Anything Goes with Die Cuts
Crafty Cardmakers - Lots of Layers


Supplies: Kraft card base, white linen cardstock, Spellbinders eyelet squares die, Penny Black bashful die, Woodware tag punch, Liquid Pearls, TH stencil, Hero Arts sentiment stamp and clear gems.

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Recycling Cardboard

Dandelions

When my boys were little, we always used to pick these and blow the seeds high into the sky and make wishes, I still can't resist doing it now and they're all grown up but it still makes me smile.  Anyway onto my card.

I started with the backing paper I found amongst my snippets but I'd already used part of it for another card using the MB honeycomb die which had left a big hole on the right so I was limited on its use.  After a little thought, I die cut another honeycomb from contrasting card and inserted it back into the negative space.

I stamped the image once and then again with second generation ink for a more muted dandelion.  Now the fun part, not!  I die cut the butterfly, layered it onto cardstock and fussy cut around it and then added clear embossing powder for a bit of shine.  I die cut the butterfly once more using a snippet from a left over page of an old paperback book from a past project - now this is really not for the faint hearted.  The paper is so flimsy and once you apply pva glue, it really is fiddly and at risk of tearing so easily, cue several walk aways!

Those of you eagle eyed crafters will spot another one of my whoops moments.  The writing should be continuous but I put the top pieces in back to front and just all wrong, needless to say I was annoyed at myself but thought I'd just roll with it and see how it turned out.  To finish I added some ivy die cuts from the scraps left of the cardstock and a few gems.

Challenges:-

Pixies Snippets Challenge 

Supplies:  MB Vivienne butterfly and honeycomb dies, Sizzix Garden Greens die (ivy), Hero Arts dandelion stamp, Stamping All Day sentiment stamp, Inktense white pencil and Hobby Craft clear gems.

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Dandelions

Old School

Way back when I first started crafting there was nowhere near the choice we have today so I went 'old school' with todays card by using bubble wrap to create my background.

I'm still using the Tim Holtz Blossom Sketchy flowers stamp set which includes a double stencil.  

I started by stamping the flowers one by one and heat embossing with white, then again for the masks.  I used the stencil that came with the stamps to create the honeycomb type effect with TH Distress ink in tea dye to start with then again using black ink.  Next I inked up the bubble wrap with TH Distress ink in vintage photo and randomly stamped over the kraft cardstock.  I coloured the echinacea flowers with watercolour pencils using a combination of brown, yellow and orange shades.

The verse is designed to look blurred, like someone who thumped too heavy on an old typewriter, I'm guilty of doing that too only when I did it all my keys used to stick together infront of the roller, not quite as friendly as our modern day computers but they do have a wonderful nostalgic feel.

Challenges:-

The Flower Challenge - Embossing Heat/Dry

Supplies: Kraft cardstock, Versamark ink pad, white embossing powder, Tim Holtz Distress inks in vintage photo and tea dye and clear stamps with the verse included, Stazon ink in stone grey, Inktense watercolouring pencils, sequins (colour changed using Sharpies) and a few Hobby Craft gems.

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Old School

Echinacea

I adore the beautiful echinacea purpurea flowers, commonly known as purple coneflower which belong to the happy sunflower family which always puts a smile on every ones face and that brings me nicely to my card.

For this card I'm using the Tim Holtz echinacea stamp set that comes with a lovely splatter stencil.

I decided before starting that I was going to stay true to the purple/pink colouring of echinacea and coloured them with Kuretake watercolouring pens, I distressed the background using Tea Dye Distressed ink with the stencil and a BoBunny netting stamp.

  
I added a strip of embroidery anglaise (love that stuff especially clothes, its girly) that was dyed, wrapped a length of string around it for a bit of interest.  Stamped the 'smile' stamp numerous times - blimey that stamp does not like ink and I'm thankful I have the Tim Holtz stamping platform that made light work of the many times it took to be completely black.  Fussy cut around it and adhered it to the card with 3D foam.

A close up of the flowers, I actually enjoyed colouring these and finally found a happy medium between me and my Kuretake, doubt it will continue as we have a love/hate relationship.

Challenges Entering:-

Love to Craft Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
Daisy Chain Challenges - Floral    
Stamping Sensations - Anything with Flowers                          

Supplies:  Tim Holtz Echinacea clear stamps and splatter stencil, BoBunny netting clear stamp, Heidi Swapp 'Smile' sentiment, Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distress ink, Stazon jet black ink, a length of embroidery anglaise, basic parcel string and KaiserCraft brown gems.

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Echinacea

Angel Anya

After having a nosey around some challenge blogs, I've discovered Christmas with the Cuties and decided to enter with my first Christmas card of 2017.  The theme is always use a cute image and this month it has to be clean and simple, hopefully I've met the brief.

I decided to use The Greeting Farm Angel Anya as I think she's pretty cute, which I coloured with Copics, apologies my colouring is not the greatest but I'm learning albeit slowly ;)

Just because its Christmas and for me that means sparkly so her dress, wings and bow were covered with Stickles in red and white because I wanted more of a Santa angel rather than an angelic one.

Here's a close up, I'm hoping my camera skills have picked up the glitter.  The background was just embossed using a Cuttlebug folder inked before putting through the BigShot.  A stamped sentiment and a few red sequins to finish of my clean and simple card.

Challenges - Christmas with the Cuties - Use cute image/clean and simple

One final note, I'd like to say a big 'Thank You' to those kind people who have followed me.  I really do appreciate it and I will always reciprocate the gesture :) 

Supplies: White linen cardstock, The Greeting Farm Angel Anya rubber stamp, Cuttlebug dots embossing folder, Stickles in red & white, Copic Markers and a few sequins.

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Angel Anya