Christmas Card Club

 Hello Everyone

I know it's been forever but I'm back blogging again and back, too, with a few cards for the Christmas Card Club. Lorraine asked for 'mainly red' this time and I can't honestly say that what I've made fits the challenge so I'm going with the alternative, 'anything goes'. 

There is some red but not nearly enough. I've used another A4 sized 'one sheet wonder' to make these four cards. 

This is what it was like before I chopped it up to create the four toppers. I might just use this photo as my blog header for Christmas this year - it's certainly festive enough. 

A shot of materials used in the making. 

The toppers, once trimmed to size, were matted on to Kraft coloured card, stamped with the greeting and adhered to white card bases. 

I hope you will pop over to see what my teammates have created for today's theme. You'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - as always they are so much more creative than I will ever be.

Take care and stay safe, 

Gelli Plate Print card - Sweet Sixteen

Hello Everyone

I'm enjoying using up the Gelli plate prints as much as I enjoyed making them - playing with paints and inks might be messy but it's also fun.

This card was made for my granddaughter's 16th birthday. When I spotted the stamp set being given away with a copy of Making Cards & Papercraft magazine I just had to have it. The stamps reminded me so much of Shari.

Supplies used:

Front:
- base - white card
- layering & butterfly die-cuts - hot pink glitter card from American Craft's Dear Lizzy New Day Mixed Media pad
- background - piece of gelli plate print left over
- topper - smooth white card; Sweet Samantha stamp set - described as a motivational stamp set - from Making Cards & Papercraft February 2019 issue; ProMarkers - Blossom, Burnt Sienna, Cinnamon, Cool Grey 1, Ice Grey 1, Rose Pink, Satin
- Dies - Rectangle die set, butterflies from a set from a magazine
pink gems

Inside:
- Creative Dies - Number dies and Special Celebrations stamp set

Because the Gelli plate print had already been created some time ago, this was a quick and easy card to make.

This is another scheduled post while I take a break from the craft desk. I'll be back soon but in the meantime I hope you are having a great week.

Christmas Card Challenge - Card 11/2019 - Christmas Lights

Hello Everyone,

I didn't forget the Christmas Card Club challenge but I just couldn't find anything in my stash, be it stamp, die or paper, that I thought fit with this week's theme of Christmas Lights chosen by Margaret. Until today when I remembered the set of Sarntangles and the stamp I used recently for something else entirely different.

Perfect! Having decided on the stamp I then looked through all the 6x6 pads I have accumulated over the years - so many I have put a stop on buying any more until they are all used up - and chose a very pretty patterned paper for the background to the stamped topper.

Materials used:

- a white A6 (10.5 x 14.8cm) card base 
- patterned paper, Kate Knight Christmas Collection paper stack 
- cardstock - scraps of white (topper & greeting) and pink (matting)
- stamps - Sarntangles 'Imagine' set (topper) & Forest Magic (greeting)
- ink - Archival Ink Jet Black pad
- markers - Blossom, Pastel Green, Rose Pink and Blender ProMarkers
- tools - Stampin' Up's oval punches for greeting; Tonic guillotine & adhesives (glue tape runner & double sided foam tape)

As the colours in the patterned paper are non-traditional I did think there might be a problem finding just the right shades of marker pens to colour in the topper but luckily the right ones were there.

That's it for CCC today but I hope you will pop over to see what my teammates have created for Margaret's challenge today - you'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - they are always so much more creative than mine
Take care everyone,

Christmas Card Club - Cards 5/2019 - Poinsettia

Hello Everyone,

It's another Christmas Card Club Sunday and Valery (Mrs A) chose today's theme - Poinsettias ...

... which means I get to use one of my all-time favourite stamp sets from Penny Black.

Supplies used:

- a white 5" square card base, ready made from Docrafts Papermania, used in the tent style orientation, the front of which is randomly stamped using a tiny poinsettia stamp from a Cardmaking & Papercraft Fairy Stamp set (2010) and Memento Dew Drop Rhubarb Stalk ink pad. I found the set buried under a ton of other stamps totally forgotten - the fairies would have been so useful for CCC week 3. 

- white card for the topper. The poinsettia, from Penny Black's Wonder Collection, was stamped on to the card twice and coloured with ProMarkers in shades of red, green and yellow. I then fussy cut one of the flowers and used a circle punch to cut out the other. I then layered the flowers together using a dimensional foam square and added yellow Stickles to the centre for a bit of bling. 

- die from a pretty doily nest set, M& C Boutique from The Works, and green glitter card from a Mixed Media pad - Dear Lizzy New Day collection from American Crafts. Note: I cut this on my Cuttlebug making up the sandwich as instructed, passing it through the machine twice. This wasn't entirely successful so I think I should have added a sheet of cardstock to my sandwich to increase the pressure. Glitter card is notoriously difficult to cut cleanly. 

- the topper was then put together with Tacky Glue - ordinary glue tape doesn't work well, actually it didn't work at all, with glitter card - and then adhered the topper to the front of the card base with dimensional foam squares. 

- the greeting die, also from the PB set, was stamped in Rhubarb Stalk on to a scrap of white card. I used an oval punch to cut out the greeting. To create the mat for the greeting the green glitter was punched out with the same oval punch - this was then cut in half and adhered to the back of the greeting leaving an edge showing at either side. I'm not sure I've explained that well so here's a close up and hopefully all will be clear.

- the card was finished of with green neon gem embellishments - they went so well with the glitter card that I had to use them - especially as the pack has been in my stash forever!

Looking forward to catching up with what how the others have interpreted today's theme. Check out the links on the right sidebar to see for yourself too.

Thanks for popping in and have a great crafty week ahead.

Snowman Birthday Card

Morning Everyone

It's a very quick post from me today - I'm off out to Gatehouse of Fleet in Galloway for the day - but I thought I'd share this wee card before I go.

A couple of months ago I found this snowman stamp, in one of my favourite haunts, a charity shop, so this is the first time I've tried it out and I love it. It's very easy to colour. I stamped it on a scrap of smooth white card then coloured the hat, nose, scarf and twiggy arms with a selection of Promarkers - job done! Couldn't be simpler. .

Materials used (as far as I can remember!)

• white A6 card base Papermania,Docrafts 
• the scrap of previously embossed and inked card
• plain white card for stamping
• stamps - Hero Arts Snowman, the  pre-loved stamp, that may not be it's full name, and greeting from the Scenic Stamp Woodland Cottage set I've been using a lot recently
• ink pads - Memento Tuxedo Black for snowman and Studio G Turquoise for greeting
• a selection of ProMarkers
• stitched square die from The Works
• Crystal Stickles
• Snowflake embellishments from Make & Create, The Works

The turquoise blue background is out of the bits and bobs box ... I can't remember exactly what ink/paint I used for the colour but I do remember that it was already embossed with snowy spots well beforehand.

That's it for today - got to fly!

Winter Cottage - A Rudolph Day Card

Evening Everyone,

At last, a card! I can't remember the last time I made a card but as the temperature falls I am reminded that Christmas isn't so far away and it's time to get cracking on cards for the occasion.

This card is made entirely from scraps and snippets saved from bigger projects. The spattered background piece is the result of having too much ink leftover when making a Summer Challenge scrap page ... it would have been criminal not to use it up so I flicked it on to some white card and stashed it away in my odds and ends box.

Materials used:
- a selection of white and green card scraps
- a Scenic Stamps set, Woodland Cottage - a magazine freebie
- Memento Tuxedo Black and Versafine Olympia Green ink pads
- a selection of ProMarkers in brown, green and red colours
- X-cut Square nesting dies and The Works stitched & scalloped square die set
- Crystal Stickles

The little trees were stamped and then fussy cut out to create embellishment cluster and I used a fine brush to 'paint' the Stickles 'snow' on to the roof, etc.

As I'm not too late I'm submitting this card to Maureen's September Rudolph Days Challenge, over at Scraps of Life by Scrappymo.



 Have a lovely evening everyone.

Enamelling Letters - How I Did It

Hello Everyone,


I recently mentioned in a WOYWW post (Week 478) that I'd been shown a way to give old letters a new look ... you know the ones, bought on a whim but never been used! I should say that although it's new to me, I'm sure many of you have seen it/done it before. This is what the letters looked like after the makeover.

For the record, just in case, like me, you haven't tried it before, here's how it's done.

First, I chose a set of flocked letters that I didn't love - American Crafts Thickers Emerald - how inappropriate is that name! Look at them - they don't stick to the backing sheet anymore, in fact I don't think they ever did, and, in truth, there's never been any call for that colour in any of the scrapbook layouts I've made.

I picked out the letters for the title I wanted then did a colour tester on a letter 'z' - there's not much call for 'z's making them pretty disposable.

Next I coloured the letters using two Promarkers in the colours I wanted, Cardinal Red and Cobalt Blue.

This proved to be more tricky than I thought because of the flocking - I pressed too hard with the pen to begin with - something to bear in mind next time I do this.

The letters were left to dry before I covered them with embossing fluid using an American Crafts brush tip pen. These pens come in a pack of three, all with different tips - the others are broad tip and medium tip but I found the brush tip the best for this job.

The final stage is to cover them with clear embossing powder - I used Stamps Away powder but any clear EP will do - and use a heat tool to melt the powder. This is the really fiddly stage - I found I needed a pair of tweezers to stop the letters scooting all over the place.

Also, it took several reapplications of both the embossing fluid and the powder before I got the high gloss finish I was looking for but the end result is well worth the effort. One thing to note is that the affect of embossing was to deepen and enrich the two shades chosen as can be seen in this photo. This turned out to be a happy accident!

Here's the page with the finished title and as can be seen the colours are perfect.The photo was taken at the Artist Textiles Exhibition - Picasso to Warhol at New Lanark in April this year.

I was delighted with the result - I love the glossy finish - and changing the colour extended the use of letters I might have eventually consigned to the bin.

Take care and have a great day tomorrow.

Butterfly Birthday Card - Experimenting with alcohol markers

Good Morning ...

... and a very happy Tuesday to you all too.

I have a very quick share today.

Prompted by this month's swap challenge for UKPC I've been experimenting with all sorts of alcohol inks, including Promarkers. This card is intended for my younger sister's birthday later this month. She doesn't read my blog so it's okay to share it here.

Here's how I made it:

- first I selected a bunch of colours that I thought would look good together. I chose a rainbow of colours. From left to right - Indigo Blue, Cobalt Blue, Duck Egg, Ruby, Cardinal Red, Poppy, Dusky rose, Ginger, Soft Peach, Buttercup, Pear Green, Olive green, Leaf Green, Lime Zest, Baby Pink, Lilac, Bluebell, Plum.

- I then took a Ranger Gloss Paper 7 x 10 card base - I'd forgotten I had these tucked away in my stash until the recent big sort out.

- with the top and bottom masked off I simply drew lines of colour, using the stubby end of the pens and working from each edge into the centre. The next step was to add some Adirondack Alcohol Blending Solution which had the effect of smudging the hard lines between each colour. This would work better with Adirondack alcohol inks but it didn't do too badly with the Promarkers. I also dabbed on some Gold Adirondack Mixatives which is not showing up too well on the photo but looks lovely in real life.

- to tidy up the edges of the panel I drew a line top and bottom with a Krylon 18kt gold leafing pen and then outlined that with a black Pigma Micron 08 pen.

- to decorate the card I cut out a decorated circle from a snippet of gold card using an inexpensive die from The Works and it cut perfectly.

- I then used the butterfly die and cut it out of this piece of card that was another alcohol ink experiment.

It was made on a scrap of smooth white card using Adirondack Alcohol inks in Sail Boat Blue, Red Pepper, Currant, Sunshine Yellow and Juniper with splats and dabs of the gold mixative. It looks very bright and messy here but once it was cut the butterfly looked a lot more toned down.

- almost finally, the greeting from Stampin' Up's So Happy For You set was stamped in Stazon Jet Black and then I added three tiny hearts - saved from the butterfly waste - just because they were too pretty to toss.

- to finish the inside, and because there was a little bit of bleed through from the markers, I added a plain white insert.

I did trim the bottom edge it with a sliver cut from the paper used to mask the card when colouring - it mirrored the front of the card perfectly.

Well, that doesn't look such a quick share but it's mostly photos and it really didn't take too long to make either.

Because I've used a couple of, admittedly tiny, snippets I'm submitting this to Pixie's Snippets Playground. 

The reason for speed today is that as it is such a glorious day we are off out to Culzean Country Park. We're taking a picnic and  we intend finding a lovely spot to just sit and enjoy.

I wish you all a very lovely day.

Snippet Monday

Hello Everyone

I have this little card to share with you today. It was made for this month's UKPC Swap for which we were challenged to create a card/ATC/ tag/etc., from some new or as yet unused stash. This card is what I came up with and, as I was able to use several snippets as well, I'm submitting it to Di's snippet challenge on Pixie's Snippets Playground.

As it is late and to keep this post short I won't go through all the steps for making the card. Instead, here's a list of the materials used:

• White card base measuring 4"x 5¾"
• Satin finish card, mauve & scraps of white for die-cutting
• Embossing folder - Crafts-Too Trellis
• Dies - Spellbinders Designer Series, Renaissance Jubilee & Die'sire Edge'ables Mini Victoriana
• Stamp from Summer in the Garden - free with a magazine
• Ink pad - Memento Tuxedo Black
• ProMarkers - Bluebell, Lavender, Lilac, Marsh Green, Pear Green &  Ice Grey1
• Embellishments - Crystal Stickles and purple satin ribbon

This is a photo of the new/unused stash I used.

Having used so much Never Before Used Schtuff, a term coined by the fabulous Darnell,  I'm submitting the card to her NBUS Challenge #10 . Darnell is celebrating her 5-year blog birthaversary - now that's worth celebrating!

I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself as this is my second post today. I think I need to go lie down in a darkened room now.

Thanks to everyone who visits and if you leave a comment I consider that a bonus.

Take care everyone,

Sunday Snippets - Campervan Birthday Card

Hello everyone

It's a brief, very brief visit this morning. As mentioned last night, we are taking a picnic and going on a wee trip out today.

However, in true Blue Peter fashion I have a card I made earlier to share with you and, as it used up quite a few snippets of cardstock in the making, I'll be popping over to Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 190 with it.

As you can see, it's the card made for my daughter's birthday this year. Juli dreams of owning a VW campervan, an original 1960s one no less, so this Molly Bloom stamp is just perfect. It's coloured, not too well, with ProMarkers ... I couldn't get the shading on the red body parts right!

Materials used:

• Molly Bloom Stamp of campervan
• Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
• Selection of ProMarker pens in shades of grey, red, yellow and black
• Sheena Douglas greeting stamp and a tiny heart stamp inked in red for the label
• Snippets of cardstock in charcoal grey, white and red
• A4 sheet of white card, folded in half to create the base, and another of red textured card to create the first layer on the front.
• Embossing folder - Textures Pebbles, Crafter's Companion - for the charcoal card layer
• Word Daughter, DekroMounts from Aspire, coloured with red ProMarker
• Red/white bakers twine and Tim Holtz tiny attacher to staple it in place on the label
• Chipboard candy coloured with red ProMarker

Those little DekroMounts are really useful, especially if, like me, you don't have the appropriate word dies.

Now all that's left is for Juli to win the lottery, just enough to buy a campervan. There would be no stopping her ... she'd be off around the country, if not the world!!!

Right, time to make up the picnic before we set off ... we have perfect weather for a trip out :)

Wishing you all have a wonderful day.

So Many Books - A Snippet Make

Good Morning Everyone,

I can't believe it is so long since I last posted and I've missed Annie's Friday Smiles, Di's Sunday Snippets, Cathy's In A Vase on Monday and Julia's WOYWW to name just a few of the my favourite things ... sounds like a cue for a song :)

I feel such a slacker but there's good reason for my absence, nothing craft related but other stuff that has kept me away from the craft room and, as it's in the same room, from my computer too.  I hope to be able to tell you about some of what has been going on over the next few days but in the meantime I have this bookmark made from snippets to show you.

After making the EM's birthday card there was a couple of strips of the Brusho background left over. Really too good to toss but not enough to make another card. After much deliberation, rumination and cogitation, not to mention a fair bit of head scratching, I got the idea to make a bookmark. It's quite big, measuring 8½" x 3½" (21x8.5cm) - the perfect size for using with larger books and hard to lose too. I'm forever losing bookmarks, often creating a house-wide search!!!

To make the bookmark, I tore round the strip of background paper and adhered it to the black base. The stamp is an old one (NBUS) from Stamptivity ... so old I believe the company is no longer around. It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with a mix of Sharpies and ProMarkers then cut out and adhered to a black mat. The sentiment, found on Pinterest, is made up from letters from Jillibean Soup Alphabeans, Newberg Navy. The silk tassel is from a pack of mixed colours that I was sure I found at Joanna Sheen's but, if I did, they don't seem to be available there now.

So there it is, my Sunday Snippets ... just a few days late ... for Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 143.

Now, at the top of this post I hinted that I might be able to share some of the stuff that has been occupying - to the exclusion of crafting - of late. Well, here's just one of the them.

Yes, the EM's birthday present finally arrived yesterday ... yippee! We had begun to give up hope. Only a week late and after Argos had changed the delivery date several times. Flat pack of course, so we spent a fair few hours putting it together and positioning it just right in the Snooker Room ... was the spare room, now his happy place! Our grandson's are going to be delighted too ... I can foresee more frequent visits from them :)

Many thanks for popping in. I hope you are well and having a good week.

Until next time, happy crafting,

Butterfly Challenge - Butterfly and Doily

Evening Everyone

I hope this find you well. We've had visitors today, our good friends, B and M, from Dumfries & Galloway popped in on the way to Glasgow.  M is going into the Jubilee Hospital tomorrow to have an angiogram and, depending on the result, possibly have a stent fitted. All being well she will be home, tucked up and sleeping it off, tomorrow evening.

And, a surprise my grandson, William, paid an unexpected visit. The last time B&M saw him was seven years ago when everyone came to ours for Christmas dinner ... my, how time flies!

Of course, this means that I've too busy to do any crafting but, in true Blue Peter tradition, here's one I made earlier, especially intended for Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge - #7.

The requirement for the challenge is to include a butterfly, of course, and a doily so I've used my favourite butterfly die and a really big doily ... bought in a huge pack from a local pound shop - a real bargain. However, it really was an outsize doily and too big to use as it was, so I cut it in two and layered the pieces on top of each other.

The blue/white check patterned paper used to cover the front of the card is a digital paper of unknown origin ... I think it might be from a Crafter's Companion CD, but can't be certain. It was printed out ages ago on the old printer so the result was far from perfect ... I almost binned it at the time but instead tossed it into the scrap drawer. Lucky I did, because with the touch of lilac in the check it is a good match for the topper.

The flowery flourish is another one of the digital images from the recent colouring session ... that certainly was an exercise worth repeating. I trimmed the topper down, stamped the greeting in black and then matted and layered it on to pale blue and dark purple cardstock.

The butterfly was cut from the dark purple and then decorated with clear crystal gems before adding it to the topper.

The back and inside were decorated with strips of the patterned paper.

As I've been typing there's been a thunderstorm raging outside ... complete with very scary lightening! Throughout this The Boss has been curled up on the end of my bed sound asleep ... and they say cats are freaked out by storms!

Right, I'm off to potter for an hour or so at the craft desk.

Hope you are having a great evening ... and that tomorrow is a very good day too.

Happy Crafting,

Materials used: Base - white card; Patterned Paper - print out from a CD; Cardstock - white card (Neenah Solar), sky blue (Papermill Direct) and dark purple (Docrafts Papermania textured); Stamps - digital Flower Flourish (Floppe Latte) and greeting from SU's Wetlands set; ProMarkers - greens and bluebell; Large white doily; Butterfly - die that was free from Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine; Inks - Memento Tuxedo Black; Gems - Anita's clear crystal gems

Sunday Snippets

Evening All,

Happy Sunday ... hope you are all enjoying sunnier weather than we are here in Ayrshire. It's not raining so that's something, but I wish the sun would come out again.

You wouldn't believe that this snippet make was completed yesterday and I've only just got round to photographing it, which is why I'm late to Pixie's Snippet Playground - Week 125 today.

As is becoming my habit, I'm adhering to Jules Law, that is the right to be lazy and not list the materials used. I will say though, that apart from the cute wee hedgehog, another product of the recent colouring session, and the pink enamel dots, everything used was from the scrap mountain!

Sigh! It seems I missed the sunshine there too, not to mention the ducks ... they've flown off! Clearly there's been too much hilarity down at the pond!!!

Off to watch the first of the Chelsea Flower Show programmes this week so I'll wish you a very good evening.

Happy Crafting,

Sunday Snippet Card - Let's Bee Friends

Afternoon Everyone,

And happy Sunday to you too.

I have a quick Sunday Snippet Card for Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 123 to share with you today ... the haste is because we are off to the market and car boot sale for a rake about. The topper is another from the recent colouring session.

The cute image is one that came in a free pack in one of the cardmaking magazines bought last year ... coloured with ProMarkers and matted and layered on to scraps of pink and turquoise card.

I used a couple of scraps of leftover patterned paper (another magazine freebie I think) to cover the white card base and added a belly band created from a strips of white and pink card, both with the edges punched - the white with hearts and the pink scalloped - and trimmed with a length of flower printed ribbon.

The silver peel-offs I've used to decorate are from a sheet that is so old I've forgotten the name of the maker. As this is true of almost everything that went into the making of this card I'm claiming the right, as laid down by Jules, to take Sunday off and not to list them at all :)

I hope you've enjoyed the weekend so far. It's the May Day holiday weekend here but the weather hasn't been too good so far ... the sun seems to have gone on holiday too! So instead of sunning ourselves we went out shopping yesterday ... to Dunelm Mill ... just for some thread, that's all, honest! So I really don't know how several lengths of beautiful fabric dropped into my basket, but it did, and being a real softy, I hadn't the heart to do anything but pay for it at the cash desk :) Now, all I need to do is find the time to get the sewing machine out.

And for tomorrow we are planning a visit to Culzean Castle ... I have a notion to visit the walled garden ... looking at someone else's garden will be a welcome change from working in our weed-infested patch - the ground elder is beginning to get the better of me!

So whatever you are doing this weekend have a great time.

Happy crafting,