Christmas Card Club - Cards 3 & 4/2019 - Fairy & Robin

Hello Everyone,

It's been quite a while since I've been able to blog anything - another lung infection bad enough to prevent me from doing much more than cough. Happily, I can report that I'm now almost completely recovered and normal service can be resumed!

And I have a twofer for you today because, unfortunately, I wasn't able to post a card for the last Christmas Card Club challenge. Firstly, here's the card for this week, CCC no.4, which is based on Gwen's challenge - 'birds'.

Actually, I've only managed one bird so I hope that passes muster. I found this bird stamp in a set and thought that coloured appropriately it would look like the perfect Christmas robin.One of my all-time favourite Penny Black stamp creates a very nice wintry scene.

Supplies used:

• a white A6 card base (Docrafts) portrait orientation
• stamps - Berry Red, Snow White (Penny Black); Winter Woodland stamp set (Craftstore) - leaf and bird; Forest Magic - greeting
• inks - Memories Black; Memento Rich Cocoa; Versafine Olympia Green
• card - white for stamped topper; red for layering; scraps of smooth white for bird and greeting
• paints - black, brown and red Spectrum Noir Aquatints Nos. 63, 40 & 11 for bird 
• embellishments: black 'pearl' for birds eye; Xmas Red Stickles for 'berries'

The second card, CCC no.3, should have been posted two weeks ago for GranMargaret's choice - 'angels or fairies'. I'm not a fan of either angels or fairies so I very nearly ended up going for the fallback of 'anything goes'. However, after a lot of digging around in my stash I discovered this fairy topper.

I also dug out of a box of 'experiments' the piece of embossed vellum used as a layer on the card. It started out as a sheet of plain white vellum but a long time ago, in fact two printers ago, I used desktop publishing software to change the colour to pale blue. This was in the days before it was possible to source coloured vellum - now it's easy to find online.

Supplies used:

• a white A6 card base (Docrafts) landscape orientation
• card - blue and red for matting and layering; scrap of white for greeting
• papers - red/white check from Those Characters from Cleveland (2012); pale blue vellum
• embossing folder - Snowflakes Cuttlebug) 
• topper - this cute fairy image is one from a set bought from an online store several years ago (source forgotten)
• embellishments - red peel-off greeting; red/white gingham ribbon; turquoise enamel dots

Right, that's me caught up with the Christmas Card Club challenges. It's so nice to be back and fit enough to participate again. The ladies in our Christmas Card Club will be publishing their cards too. To save the stress of the last minute dash in December we make a Christmas card every two weeks and posting it on our own blogs - see the list of links on the sidebar to the right.

There's quite a whiff of Spring in the air today so hopefully that's an end to the winter blues. The EM certainly thinks so - he's planning ahead by putting the picnic chairs in the boot of the car ready for the better weather.

Thanks for visiting - I really appreciate it.

Sunday Snippets & The Last of the Christmas Cards for 2018

Hello Everyone,

Well, that's Christmas 2018 over and done with and I hope that it was a good one for you. We enjoyed a quiet day together, cooking a very tasty lunch, exchanging presents, messaging/telephoning distant family and friends, and watching TV. A perfect day and, after the EM's most recent hospital episode, one for which I'm eternally grateful.

Needless to say there's been nothing done in the craft space for several days, but I do have a few last minute cards to share - the last for this year. Because it doesn't matter how organised I think I am, or how carefully I put together the list of cards to be made, there's always a few short. I try! Every year I try!

Anyway, here they are.

This is a real snippet make - definitely one for Pixie's Snippet Playground Challenge 342. The topper was made from a scrap of gold card embossed with a folder from the Winter Botanicals set by Sizzix and decorated with tiny green gems. It's backed on to a snippet of bright green card to create an insert for the dark green pre-cut card base. Gold sequins decorate two corners.

The next two were made from decoupage kits bought many moons ago - several years ago actually - from Docrafts Henbury Lane Poinsettia Collection Pack. 

It's amazing how much there is in one of these packs - and it's not finished yet! The gorgeous poinsettia patterned paper in the background was one I'd been treasuring but I finally let go. Well, it was just too perfect with those delightful toppers.

One of the reasons - goodness, the only reason - why I was making cards up to the last minute this year is because I left it too late to start! But all should be well for Christmas 2019 because I intend making at least one card a week from the first week in January. Not exactly a resolution, I don't make resolutions, more a challenge! I've done it in years past. I can do it again!

That's it for now. I'm off to give my desk a bit of a tidy up before starting on the next project.

Take care everyone and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Sunday Snippet Card - Let It Snow

Afternoon All,

It's Sunday again! I hope you have had a wonderful weekend. I'm back with a snippet card made from the bits and bobs that were on my desk on Wednesday and a new (to me) embossing folder.

I like the colour combination - it's non-traditional but I think it makes a lovely Christmas card. It's based on one by Kelly Lloyd that I spotted in a recent edition of Papercraft Inspirations (Issue 159) using the supplies I had to hand.

How it was made:

• For the topper I dipped into a neglected pack of Black Magic Core'dinations. I chose a pink backed sheet for the base layer and several scraps, with a different shade of pink backing, for the small lower panel and the poinsettias, The full sheet was cut to fit the embossing folder, Crafts-Too's Let It Snow, and passed through my die-cutting machine (Cuttlebug). One of the scraps was placed at the bottom of the folder to be embossed - this ensured that it was embossed with snowflakes only. 
• Next, I rubbed the surface of embossed pieces with an emery board to reveal the pinks and then I gilded the surface with silver gilding wax (Pebeo) which covered up much of the pink but left a hint here and there. 
• Several sizes of the poinsettias were die-cut from snippets to make one large and one smaller flower. The petals were also rubbed with the emery board and silver waxed then layered up, glued together with silicone gel, and finished off with a silver card candy in each centre
• To put the topper together, I cut the smaller embossed piece to be a fraction smaller than the base piece, then matted both pieces on to silver cardstock before gluing them together in the way you can see in the photo. Next, a piece of pink ribbon - which really is much closer in colour to the pink card base than it looks in the photo - was wrapped around the topper and fixed to the back with sticky tape. I then tied a bow round the ribbon - I find doing it this way is the easier method.  
• The topper was then adhered to pink card base which was made from an A4 sheet cut to measure 6¾" x 5". 
• Finally, the poinsettia flowers were glued in place with silicone gel.

That's another Christmas card made! And I really enjoyed making it too - not least because I was able to use up some long forgotten supplies and get my fingers dirty with gilding wax.

I'd like to submit this card to the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 255 - of course! 

CHNC challenge extra for November 2016

No Poldark to watch this evening ... Sunday evenings just won't be the same! I'll have to console myself with the Strictly result show.

Enjoy your evening, whatever you are doing.

Rudolph Day Card for February - Christmas Train Postcard

Hello Everyone,

Here's my Rudolph Day card for February.

It features one of my favourite Christmas stamps, brightly patterned paper and a few snippets of cardstock.

Supplies used:

• a 4"x 6" white card blank
• cardstock - snippets of white, for stamped image, and dark green, for the embossed holly leaves
• stamp - Stampendous Train Postcard, stamped with a Stazon Jet Black ink pad
• patterned paper - Berry Merry by Jennifer Ellory paper pad - free with an old edition of Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine
• embossing folder and dies set - Holly Trio  by Tattered Lace. This is a very useful set to have because it creates embossed holly leaves, first by embossing card with a design of leaf veins and then die-cutting the shapes.
• marker pens - Memento Lady Bug, Bamboo Leaves & Cantaloupe
• embellishments - red gems from Anitas

As well as Mo's Rudolph Day challenge I'm submitting it to the following:

 Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 217 - didn't quite empty the snippets drawer with this one but made a wee dent anyway

and Hazel's three challenges:

CHNC - Challenge 269: cute or anything goes as long as it's Christmas

CHNC - Challenge Extra for February 2016

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - February 2016

I'm off to do a bit of blog hopping now so I'll wish you all a very happy weekend.

Furry Friend Birthday Card

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you well. I managed to make the card with the supplies I had lying out on my desk on Wednesday. I could/should have posted it earlier but it's been such a busy week, in the garden and out and about, and I have had very little time to spend here in my craft room, sigh. Still, today I have all day to potter in here so that's good :)

Nothing difficult about this card. All the detail is created using the cute embossing folder and stamp set, Furry Friends, which came free with a magazine (Simply Cards & Papercraft).

Supplies used:

- base is a white 4"x6" card blank

- the front edges were inked using a Rose Pink ProMarker, and a ruler - with my hands I wouldn't trust myself to do it freehand!

- a sheet of pretty pink heart patterned paper, from LOTV Nitwit Collections Bonnets & Bowties paper pack, was trimmed, to fit the front leaving the pink edge showing, and adhered to the card.

- snippets of white and pink cardstock and the embossing folder were used to create the window and curtains. As all I wanted to emboss was the 'window' and 'curtain' I chose snippets that were not the full size of the folder but just big enough to cover the 'window' part. First the white card was passed through the embossing machine (my trusty Cuttlebug) and then the pink. Then I cut out the complete 'window' from the white card but only the 'curtains' from the pink card - these were then glued to the inside of the 'window frame'.

- another snippet of white card was used to stamp both the kitten and the greeting using a Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad. I then carefully trimmed round the kitten so that it could be fixed, using dimensional sticky pads, to the inside of the 'window', making sure that it's wee paws were 'clinging' to the 'windowsill'. 

- a leftover scrap of the pink cardstock was used to mat the greeting after it was trimmed to size. It was then fixed to the front using sticky pads.

- pink gems were used as a final embellishing touch.

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 216 - It's a wee while since I popped over to the playground only to find that our Head Snippeteer, Di, isn't so good at the moment. Let's hope she makes a speedy recovery and is back in charge again soon. In the meantime, Sarn is doing a sterling job of keeping the playmates under control :)

Cuttlebug Mania - I {Heart} You - project to include a heart. Not immediately apparent, but the 'curtain tiebacks' are embossed hearts.

I think this card will be perfect for one of my girly great-grands.

Now, I'd like to wish you all a very happy day.

Sunday Snippets - Week 200!!

Hello Everyone

The week count on Pixie's Snippets Playground has reached an unbelievable 200! Congratulations to our Head Snippeteer, Di, and thanks too. Without this weekly challenge, my snippet mountain would be huge ... probably big enough to be seen from outer space. What's more,  all the humour and banter makes participating lots of fun. 

To celebrate I made this card in pink, Di's favourite colour.

The topper was made using a very pretty embossing folder, X-Cut Tri-Boss Butterflies. First, I embossed two largish scraps of white and pink card, then fussy cut the butterflies from the pink piece which I later adhered, using glue gel to create dimension, over the butterflies on the white topper.  Before adding the butterflies I stamped the quotation, a Lily of the Valley stamp, with Memento London Fog ink and the dainty little flower flourish stamp in Color Box's Orchid. That stamp is from Stampin Up's Simply Wonderful stamp set, one of the two won in last week's prize draw - yeah! The base card is made from an A4 sheet of the pink card (Papermill Direct's Pink Sorbet) cut in half and folded to create an A6 size card. Finally, pink grosgrain ribbon, Opal Liquid Pearls and Cotton Candy Stickles provided the finishing touches. 

Inside the card, the little flower flourish is stamped in the right bottom corner.

I really did begin to write up this post yesterday afternoon but then got distracted by Strictly Come Dancing and Downton Abbey, after which I was too tired to do anything other than go to bed ... what can I say, my internal clock was still on summer time!

We're off soon, taking The Boss to the vet's for her monthly injections so will have to leave blog-hopping until later.

Have a great evening.

Happy Crafting

Mauve and Orange Butterfly Card

Afternoon Everyone,

Two posts in one day! Just trying to make up for two day's absence :)

The card I have to share with you this afternoon is one inspired by Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge #40 where the requirement is for embossing. There are several methods of embossing to choose from and I like them all but this time I decided to use one of my favourite folders to create embossed panels for this card.

The unusual colour combination, pink, mauve and orange, was inspired by the gorgeous butterfly topper.

How the card was made and the materials used:

• First,  the front of a white 6"x4" card base was covered with a scrap of pink patterned paper from Papermania's Vintage Notes pack.
• One of my favourite, but long neglected, crafting goodies are Penny Black Stickeroos. This butterfly topper from Mauve Twilight is  another treasure unearthed during the recent tidy up. Here I've matted it on to a scrap of rose pink Papermania Textured Card. 
• A left over strip of the pink cardstock was embossed using a swirly patterned folder, Darice Scrolls Background. It was trimmed and split into two equal panels then a length of orange organza ribbon, that also has a printed swirly pattern, was wrapped around each panel.  
• After adhering the panels and the topper, I punched out three tiny butterflies and attached them to the card front with glue gel. 
• All the butterflies, including the image on the topper, were given a sparkly decoration with Stickles Fruit Punch ... a great colour that perfectly combines the pink and orange seen on the butterfly image.
• Finally the finishing touch, orange Neon gems from Docrafts.

Having used quite a few scraps and snippets to make this card, I'm popping over to Pixie's Snippet Playground too ... the second time this week :)

Enjoy your evening.

Vintage Rose Card plus Craft Room Makeover Update

Good Morning Crafters,

I hope you are all well and enjoying your week so far. There's been no time for crafting Chez Worthington ... if I could get to my craft desk it would be great ... so the card I have to share is a little one made a couple of months ago that I didn't get around to sharing a the time.

Made so long ago I've forgotten most of the details so there will be some frantic checking going on now. The decoupaged vintage rose from Docrafts came free with a magazine. The green background is embossed with an old folder that has a leafy design on it, Cindy Lou from Cuttlebug. The leaf is from Tattered Lace's Lavish Bloom Leaves die set - cut from snippets of green card.

And now, the reason for the panic!

Sad isn't it. Just about everything has gone and all that's left, for now, is this computer, the printers and a very empty desk. We've both been stripping ... wallpaper, that is ... and today it's washing the paintwork down with sugar soap and filling in various holes with plaster that's on the to do list for himself. That awful pink shiny heart paper has gone - yippee! I'm tackling the sewing table which is also going to undergo a makeover.

Better go and get on with it :)

Proud as a Peacock Card

Afternoon Everyone

From a nearly sunny Ayr! Whatever next ... a late summer ... now that would be nice :)

One of the better side affects of our dreadful weather was that the craft room was the best place to be yesterday ... you can see I'm not bitter ...  giving me the perfect opportunity to finish off this card, the beginnings of which can be seen lying on my desk here.

The embossing folder and stamp used to create this card came as a free set with an issue of Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine - the Peacock Collection Embossing Folder & Stamp Set. I did try out the embossing folder on this green card, the reverse side of a 6" square of ColourCore Black Magic Spell Caster, soon after buying the magazine but that was as far as I got. It was then stashed away in my catch-all box and forgotten until a couple of days ago but, now that I have to think about moving stuff out while the craft room is being redecorated, that box has to be emptied. And it just so happened that this piece was the first to come to hand.

Here's how I made the card:

- The first step was to trim the embossed card to fit a 6" square Kraft card base, just a shade smaller than 6" to leave a tiny margin of Kraft visible, and then adhere it to the front.

- I then stamped the frame and peacock image that came with the set on to a snippet of smooth white card using a dark green ink pad - Versafine Olympia Green. I also stamped the sentiment on another snippet of card to match.

- The stamped images were then die-cut using a square die from an X-Cut square set for the main image and an oval die from Spellbinders Sapphire Basic Set A for the sentiment. I then traced round the dies on to a couple of snippets of smooth dark green card (Papermill Direct) and trimmed the shapes out, creating faux die cuts mats for the stamped images. Once they were matted they were adhered, using sticky pads to create dimension, to the front of the card.

- The flower embellishment was created by layering up die-cut flowers in two shades of green - cut from scraps using a Marianne Flower die set - and adding a fern spray and a few tiny leaf sprays (from Tattered Lace's Lavish Bloom Leaves and Mini die sets) found in my box of die-cuts.

- For the finishing touch I added tiny crystal gems in two shades of green to the flower centres and dotted around the embossed pattern.

I'm feeling quite pleased, one piece out of the bits box down and a ton of snippets put to good use. Just a squillion more to go!

I'm off to submit this to Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 188 - anything goes as long as some snippets have been used in the process.

I wish you all a lovely evening.

Happy Crafting,

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - WOYWW 278

Good Morning Everyone,

It's that day of the week again and after missing last week just had to make an appearance for the first WOYWW of October ... that's where we link a post showing what's on our desk, or not as the case may be, over at the Stamping Ground where Julia keeps an eye on proceedings :)

Just in the middle of an embossing session and loving these new Sizzix embossing folders ... won recently in Di's weekly draw over at Pixie's Snippets Playground. I've already had fun using them for the Rudolph Day cards for September. There's also a pile of scraps to be seen and various bits of essential crafting tools lurking at the back of the photo. And that's it really - not a lot to show this week.

I have been busy with the sewing machine and made these cushions for my SIL, Graeme, who has just celebrated his birthday ... the big Five Oh! 

He's a model train enthusiast so I thought these would be perfect for a cosy seat in his planned 'train shed'. I found the fabric, 'Vintage Trains' on-line at Oh Sew Crafty. As usual the covers are super fast, super simple squares ... 

... with envelope backs ... I'm not up to anything more complicated yet :) With Christmas in mind, I plan to make a few more using printed fabric that reflects the tastes/interests/hobbies of the recipients ... should keep me busy over the next 12 weeks or so :)

Now that I've shown you what's on my desk and what I've been up to this week, I'm off to take a peak at what fellow WOYWWers are up to.

In the meantime, I wish you all a happy WOYWW and a wonderful week.

Two Cards for Rudolph Day

Evening Everyone,

No posts for days and then two in one day ... I'm nothing if not unpredictable :) It's Rudolph Day and I couldn't miss that, now could I?

Two festive cards made in record time. I tipped out the contents of the card scraps drawer and selected a good sized piece of dark brown for the star covered card and some card that was an experiment in sponging ink and stamping for the one with the penguin on it. I've been looking for an excuse to break open the pack of Sizzix Hero Arts Christmas Words and Dots embossing folders recently won in the draw over at Pixie's Snippets Playground ... this was it :)

I made the base of this card with a printed cardstock from Kanban, Kraft Stars. The white embossed panel has been inked with metallic ink, Docrafts Ink It Up Gold, before fixing it to the dark brown card. The embellishments are gold edged satin ribbon and gold glittery stars, Studio Calico stickers.

For this card I've used an A6 white card base, topped it with the white Christmas Dots embossed card matted on to a piece of the inked and stamped experiment. The penguin is recycled, fussy cut from the front of a card received last Christmas. Some white glitter glue has provided a bit of bling on each of the embossed dots. The greeting is computer generated.

I'm entering both cards in to the following challenges:

Stamping For Pleasure's Rudolph Day - September 2014 ... two cards as requested, Sarn :)
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 143 ... the snippets are the brown and the the inked and stamped experiment used for matting

CHNC Challenge 195: 20 minutes or less ... both cards were made in less than 20 minutes once I'd got all the materials together

and not forgetting:

CHNC Challenge Extra for September ... anything goes.

I don't want to start a panic but did you know there is only 91 days to Christmas? That's just 13 weeks altogether ... in fact, only 2 more Rudolph Days. Time, for those who haven't already done so, to think seriously about making Christmas cards. I certainly have a bit of catching up to do to avoid a last minute rush!  

Take care and thanks for popping in.

Happy Crafting,

A Trio of Heart Cards - Snippet Makes

Evening Everyone,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and today has been just fine too. It's been raining cats and dogs here today ... which saved me the job of watering the garden and gave me the perfect excuse to spend the day crafting.  Happily, my hands and arms are feeling better so I couldn't wait to get stuck in again.

I rooted around in the card snippet drawer, got out the Cuttlebug, an X-cut Homespun heart die and a variety of embossing folders and spent a happy couple of hours die-cutting and embossing loads of hearts.

The blue one: made with some leftover aqua card embossed with a sentiment - a magazine freebie - trimmed to fit the white card base, leaving a tiny margin of white card showing. Two blue and one white heart, adhered using glue gel to create the right dimension, make the topper. A scrap of blue ribbon, knotted, and an aqua coloured dew drop are the only embellishments.

The pink one: the base is a pre-made one, already embossed all over - from a pack that's been in my stash for eons ... no idea what I was thinking of, got them home and then couldn't think what to do with them!!! Still, it's never too late and today they were rescued from the gloomy dismal depths of the NBUS (Never Been Used Stuff) drawer. The top is made up of three pink hearts, one butterfly punched from a tiny scrap of silver card and some pink and white gems.

The purple one: made in the same way as the pink but with just a few iridescent gems for embellishments.

I got a bit carried away with cutting out the hearts from the card scraps and now have a wee box full - more stash to use up!

It's late but before I take myself off to bed I'm popping over to Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 133 to link up all these snippet makes. I plan to pop in again tomorrow to see what the Di and my fellow snippeteers have been up to lately.

Happy Crafting,

Be My Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone,

I wish you all a fabulous love-filled day, with plenty of treats ... even if it is that you are treating yourself :) I haven't received a card yet ... do you think the EM has forgotten? If he has, it will be a first. Anyway, here's the card I made for him.

Because he's worth it ... even if he is getting forgetful in his old age :)

It's also one for Pixie's Snippet Playground because, apart from the base, it's made from snippets and stash left over from other projects. And I've had the ribbon for at least 3 years ... I used a tiny piece back then and put the rest away.

The heart shaped aperture is cut out from the white card using one of the dies from the Homespun Heart X-Cut set from Docrafts. I then embossed it using my all-time favourite folder, Lattice from Crafts Too You, and wrapped a length of the ribbon round the card, taping it down at the back.

To put the card together, a snippet of Bazzill Basics Tomato card was adhered to the card front, in just the right place. Next the embossed/die cut piece was stuck down, using dimensional foam dots, ensuring that the red card showed through the aperture.  For the final touches, a faux bow was attached to the ribbon and a red crystal gem was added to the knot. Three more crystal gems were added to the red heart and the front was completed.

Needless to say, the inside and the front had to be given the Valentines treatment - hot lips, hearts and kisses - what more could the EM want :)

I'm taking the EM out for a spot of lunch for a Valentine treat ... still no sign of a card but I'm not fussed ... he's a man who thinks that shows of love and affection shouldn't be confined to just one day of the year.

Have a wonderful day everyone,

Winter Blues

Afternoon Everyone,

The mammoth stamp sort out is finally done and the desk is at last clear enough to let me make a couple of cards for Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #160. Hazel has asked for shades of blue this week giving me the perfect excuse to get out loads of snippets of blue card to make these two cards.

Card #1: has an embossed panel that's been lightly sponged with blue ink and a header of trailing stars.

I chose card in a variety of blue shades and finishes - mirror, pearlescent, and matte - from which to cut the stars. Some were given an extra twinkle by covering them in glitter glue.

Inside and back: decorated with trails of the smaller stars.

Card #2: of course I cut way too many stars so had to use them up on this very simple design.

Inside and back: more trailing stars inside and the last large glittered star on the back.

Materials used:

• paper from the In The Meadow, free from simply Cards & Papercraft magazine 2013
• card - snippets of shades of blue; a scrap of white card for embossing
• inks - Ranger DI Tumbled Glass, Memento Dew Drop Danube Blue
• glitter glue - Stickles Baby Blue and Crystal
• Tools: embossing folder - Quickutz Phrases; dies - from Docrafts X-Cut Star set; die cutting machine; punch - Woodware tiny star

Usually Hazel has to remind me of her extra challenge, Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for January, where anything goes as long as it's Christmas, but not today!!!

I'm also entering both cards into Di's challenge at Pixie's Snippets Playground. I'd like to say that all my blue snippets were used up in these cards but it would be a lie ... there's still a little heap to get through yet! However, nothing but snippets and OGooS went into the making of the cards :)

Edit Note: Sue, a DT member, has very kindly suggested I enter these over at Stampin with the Dragon - the challenge is Winter Blues ... how appropriate is that.

It may be temporary, but I've now got the luxury of a neat desk. My entire stamp collection is put away in a neat and ordered fashion, AND dies, embossing folders and templates, paper and card all filed away too! And, better still, it is all easily accessible. So there's absolutely nothing to stop me tackling my crafting to-do list ... and absolutely no excuses any more either.  Now, as long as my mojo doesn't go walkabout I should be just fine :)

In the meantime, I'm off to watch Pointless and then think about dinner.

Happy crafting,

Little Bird and Ribbon Card

Afternoon Everyone

This is going to be the quickest post in history of this blog.

This card was made for a challenge which called for the use of ribbons, lots of ribbons. Now I like ribbons, that's evident by the hoard I have gracing the craft room, but it's rare for me to use more than one on a card ... could that be because I am so loathe to part with even the tiniest snippet :)  However, as ever, I rose to the challenge and, going completely crazy, picked out some of my most cherished beauties. The unusual colour combination, that is, unusual for me, was taken from the gorgeous embroidered ribbon from Anna Griffin.

No 'how I made it today' ... I desperately need to finish off sorting out the stamps or I'll never see the top of my desk again ... suffice to say there's dry embossing, colouring and stamping with a little bit of silver waxing thrown in for good measure. Oh, and the pink topper mat has a pierced border too.

Materials used:

• card - teal (Papermill Direct), deep pink (Papermania) and white (Neena Solar)
• stamp - Inkadinkado Bird Streamer
• inks - Memento Markers, Rose Bud, Bahama Blue, Bamboo Leaves and Ranger DI, Crushed Olive
• gilding wax - Pebeo Silver
• tools - Cuttlebug; embossing folder - Cuttlebug Cindy Loo; dies - Docraft's X-Cut Squares and Butterflies; Dovecraft piercing ruler, piercing mat and a pokey tool

Because the base is such a strong colour, I created an insert from printer paper stamped up in the same combination of inks as used for the front.

Almost the entire card is made from snippets - the exceptions are the teal card used for the base, the white rose ribbon trim and the embroidered ribbon - even the green velvet ric rac came from the snippet box, so I'm skipping over to Pixie's Snippet Playground - Week 108 - where snippets are the name of the game.

Graveling update: almost done but we've run out of gravel for the driveway - surprisingly, a ton was not enough!

Update on goal to buy no new stuff but to use Only Goodies out of Stash (OGooS) - it's Week 3, 2014, and I've still not succumbed to temptation - so far all materials have been sourced from stash. I know, it's early days but so far, so good :)

Right, time for a quick bit of lunch and then back to the stamp sorting - photos may follow :)

Take care everyone. Happy crafting,