Top Of My Crafty Charts

Hello.
Today I'm spinning a few paper discs, for this 'greatest hits' card.  :o)

It doesn't really show on the photo, but I have found that layering these die cuts does make them look better, and stand out more on the card.
It's a lot of extra glueing, but it does help to use up some of my massive offcut pile of card! ;o)

Challenge

AAA Birthday Challenge 

• concord and 9th - greatest hits stamps and dies
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitched rectangle
• versa color - turquoise

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Snow, Sparkle and a Tangle of Tails

Hello.
I'm back in the craft room today - one day it's spooky, the next it's sparkly :o)

I can't resist a card with dogs on - and these festive pals are having fun in the snow.
One is carrying his own stocking, whilst the other is getting tangled up in the fairy lights. Classic!

I've followed the sketch over at Freshly Made, with my pups and the tree representing the circle shapes.
The background was inked with distress ink and for the snow I used a white gel pen with a snowfall stencil.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

• my favorite things - happy pawlidays / stitched scallop edges
• ranger distress ink - tumbles glass / salty ocean
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• copic markers / white gel pen

It's Too Late To Be Good

Is it too late to be good?
Should I just commit to the naughty list now?  :o)

I played along at AAA Cards, with their 'follow the leader' challenge.

Karen's delightful, lead card features a sweet critter, an inky background and a cute sentiment.

Here's my twist on it.

I really wanted to make this celebration girl Christmassy, so she's got her sparkly top on, and a glass of fizz in her hand.

Challenge

AAA Cards

• concord and 9th - celebration squad dies  and stamps
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Bear and Penguin Mischief

I had lots of fun putting this snowy scene together.
The penguin is clearly the troublemaker - tangling his friend up in fairy lights! :o)

The background was inked up with distress ink, and misted with water.
Then I stamped my sentiment, and added the die-cut festive friends.

I wasn't sure if the 'snow' would be too much - but in the end I went for it, using a stencil and a white gel pen.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

I have used a touch of orange on the penguin, that's not in the colour scheme,
but it's only a small bit, so hopefully I can get away with it ;o)

• spellbinders - festive friends
• ranger distress ink - salty ocean
• hobbycraft - knit pattern embossing folder
• sentiment stamp - I love this little stamp, but I've had it forever, and can't remember the make.
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil

A Sympathy Card Straight From The Heart

Today I'm sharing a sympathy card.
Not the easiest card to make, but often the most meaningful.

Flowers are my nemesis, and you will rarely see them on any of my cards, but I guess they are the go-to for sympathy cards, and I really had no idea what else to use.
This was a tough card for me though - in so many ways.

Challenge

AAA Cards

I think I'll have to go with 'anything goes' this time,
but whilst making the card I did have in mind the monochrome theme.
I kept my blooms tone on tone, and used greys for the leaves and background panel.

• altenew - garden picks dies
• spellbinders - sending you stamps and dies
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Just A Few Festive Bits

Hello.
Today I've been playing with some festive bits from Conrcord & 9th
I think I'm starting to get the hang of lining up these little, die cuts and not getting glue all over them, my desk, and up my sleeves :o)

I was following the sketch at Freshly Made, and I did try several different backgrounds - patterned paper/embossed paper - I even tried to draw on the shapes with a marker. Nothing seemed to work for me, so in the end I fixed on a white, die cut panel. At least those pierced lines give a little interest.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• concord & 9th - handmade holiday dies
• concord & 9th - tree topper stamp set
• waffle flower crafts - piercing lines texture die
• versafine ink - white embossing powder

Sending A Little Pick Up

Ooh, as soon as I saw the picture for this month's {PIN}spirational challenge, I knew what I wanted to make. And - it was perfect for my recent die-cutting obsession :o)

This little pick up and pumpkins was super quick to put together, and I nestled the truck into some long grass, as per the challenge picture.
I even remembered to layer some of my die cuts, which maybe doesn't show in the photos, but IRL it makes them pop more.

Challenge

{PIN}spirational

• spellbinders - holiday haul / landscape edges / sending you
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• concord & 9th cardstock
• Versafine Clair - nocturne

Stay Wild, Look Majestic

Hello.
Today I'm sharing this 'floral stag' - isn't he majestic?

               

I've popped him up on a heat embossed background.
How much fun is heat embossing?
There's something very satisfying about watching that powder melt, to reveal a beautiful, glossy design.

Challenge

Allsorts   #833

*** Woodland Critters ***

• spellbinders - floral stag
• my favorite things - peacock pattern stamp, white embossed
• my favorite things - stitched rectangle scallop die
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle die
• my favorite things - snowglobe sentiments

Under The Sea We Off The Hook

 

Hello.
Today I'm sharing a shark, a narwhal and a whale, messing about under the sea.

I used my circle nestabilities, to create a tunnel style card, following the ombre theme of the AAABirthday Challenge.

Then I tucked in the fish, a little bit of seaweed, and some bubbles.

Challenge

AAA Birthday 

• mft stamps and dies - friends with fins
• spellbinders - circle nestabilities
• the works - m&c boutique - foliage dies
• hero arts - sentiment - i'm a puffer for you
• concord & 9th cardstock - midnight/peacock/oceanside/aqua sky
• copic markers / white gel pen

A Birthday Without Cake Is Just A Meeting

Say hello to this 'celebration squad' girl. 
Another year older, and ready to eat her bodyweight in cupcakes!

This was really fun to put together, and there are so many different combinations to play with.
I had this in mind for someone, so I tailored the look to hers.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• concord and 9th - celebration squad dies
• concord and 9th cardstock - buttercup/sprout/honeysuckle
• distress oxide - cracked pistachio
• versmark ink / wow white embossing powder

Soy Happy For You

Hello.
How cute is this happy, little panda - popping out of the bamboo with a happy message.

This is an old 'my favorite things' set.
I loved how their sets always included plenty of elements to make a little scene, and some cute, punny sentiments. I'm going to miss them.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

Hands up - I took a bit of licence with this sketch.
I rotated it, to use the bamboo as the 3 elements, but also kept it portrait!

• mft - sushi date
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle dies
• copic markers / white gel pen
• distress ink - cracked pistachio (to stamp the bamboo)