Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

A friend of mine asked me if I could make a card for his parents which included items of clothing as this was to be his Christmas present at a later date.  This brilliant dress and accessories die from Sizzix is still one of my favourites.  Because it's an original die it can make short work of thick card, so I created a triple layer of card and cut the dress from that.  This not only saves time but gives a cleaner die cut than three layered up.  A little glossy accents and loads of glitter give the dress, bag and shoes a lovely finish.  I used the WMS Picot Panel (which happened to be the exact width of the dress hem) to create a pretty petticoat.  The Memorybox Mini Holly Leaves were the perfect size to accessorise the dress and bag - giving them a more festive look (just in case the red stripes weren't enough)!

The male card was a little more difficult.  I don't own any such dies, but with a Silhouette Cameo - well how hard could it be right!  

It's not perfect but this was my best attempt at a tux.  I liked the effect of the glitter on the lapel but the card was a little empty to I turned to the Silhouette Shop for some help and found the shoes hat and pipe in Vintage Gentleman's Set by Megan Harding Designs.  I wish I had thought of looking here first as there are some really nifty outfit accessories in the set as well as a really smart waistcoat.  However I had already put so much work into the tux so I kept it.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to let me know what you think.  I hope you had a lovely Christmas with your loved ones, and I wish you a very happy and prosperous 2017!!!

Love Kate

Glitter !!!

There are worse things to do on a sunny (but very cold) day than play with glitter.  I cut these reindeer using the TH Mini Reindeer (movers and shapers).  I coated them with glossy accents and sprinkled them with glitter.  Don't they look lovely sparkling away as the sun streams in through the window!  

Most of these I used on gift tags (seven packs of 6).

But I had two left over so I've made a card using one of them.  The NBUS Memory box Snowflake Corner was cut from silver mirror card.  

I like decorating my envelopes but worry about using die cuts in case they cause problems with the post, so I cut a reindeer from funky foam and used it as a stamp.  It adheres to the acrylic block quite well with just a little water.

I'm entering in the following challenges 

Time Out - Christmas with an optional twist of Glitter/Shimmer

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Christmas to Die For

52 Christmas Card Throwdown November Stash Challenge - Glitter

Thanks for stopping by - especially if you take the time to leave a comment,

Kate

Sparkly Deer

I love the effect of the stacked die cut sentiments and I still had some glittered red deer die die cuts left over from previous projects, so I made a few simple Christmas cards.  Well they look simple but finding all those tiny negative bits of die cut can be tricky especially at night.  

I dressed up my deer with Memorybox Mini Holly Leaves - he looks rather festive don't you think!

I'm entering this card in Timeout Challenge #71 which has the theme Christmas with an optional twist of glitter/shimmer

I'm also entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas to Die For

and the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge has an interesting theme this week of Trio-tastic (in other words use 3 of something on your project), so as there are three tiny holly berries on my deer I'm entering my card there as well

Thanks for stopping by - your visits and comments are truly appreciated, 

Kate

Heart Wreaths

I've had these WMS My Heart wreaths sitting in my "what am I going to do with these" pile all week and nothing hit me until tonight when I checked out the latest Mojo Monday sketch for Challenge #475.

I love this this candy-striped red DP which is glittered (not easy to catch in the night time though) so I'm entering in the Time Out Challenge #71 which is Christmas with an Optional Twist of Glitter/Shimmer.

 

and the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge has the theme Christmas To Die For, so I'll be entering there as well.

Thanks for stopping by,
Kate

A touch of Pink Frost

I just loved this pink background paper with the tiny sparkly -  made me think of a pink snow storm,   so I used it as a backdrop for a pink enamelled deer.   

I kept the sentiment soft by embossing it in white on a pink "snowflake" which is actually from the Spellbinders Fleur de Lys Accents set.  

As the UTEE was still setting I sprinkled on some ultra fine pink glitter to make sure he really sparkled.  Here's a close up, though the sparkle is much more impressive IRL.

I'm entering my card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas Critters.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

A Touch of Sun

I'm still finding lots of leftovers for the Shopping Our Stash "Front and Centre" Challenge.  These birds have been sitting around since I made this card in August.  They are Memory Box Meadow Birds, embossed and enamelled to give them a glossy molten glass effect.   This first card uses a sentiment from WMS My Island mounted on a Spellbinders Nested Pennant.

This second card has a sentiment from WMS Fine Feathers mounted on a Spellbinders Nested Pennant.  I thought it could be used for a get well card and will be entering it in Make My Monday Challenge 34.

The last card features a sentiment from the Verve Rise Above set mounted on a speech bubble from Joy Crafts.

The background was created using Memory Box Small Circle Burst and the birds are perched on a branch from Spellbinders Cherry Blossoms.

I'll also be entering my cards in the following challenges

Happy Little Stamper anything Goes with Dies November Challenge

CAS on Sunday Challenge #96 Pets

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback,

Kate

Ice Cream

On a mission to use up left over bits and pieces since Shopping Our Stash announced their "Front and Centre" challenge, I  found 10 of these little ice cream cones.  They were stamped and die cut about a 18 months ago when I made this card.

I used the Clearly Besotted Super Cool Stamps and matching dies for the ice creams.  This first card uses a sentiment from the same set.  But then I thought it might be fun to mix and match a bit so I added   some sentiments from the Verve Cupcakes set which arrived last week.

This set and its partners Coffee and Chocolate, are ingenious.  They have great images of cupcakes, coffee and chocolate, but it's the sentiments and how you can combine them, which make the sets so versatile.  They also have Coffee and Chocolate word dies, which I can't wait to use (had to use up some of these ice creams first though).

Thanks for stopping by - especially if you take the time to leave a comment or like,

Kate

Alpine Village

Another Christmas card to add to the pile, using WMS Alpine Village.  I embossed the roofs in white but they're a bit hard to see against the white background.  The sentiment is from the same set, but it's a little too subtle on that red spotty background.  If I make another I'll emboss the sentiment.

I've been fairly faithful to the first November sketch from Viva la Verve, which is a keeper.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

The Voice of the Sea

I had this background panel from some time ago.  I usually make up 3 or 4 at the same time so it's probably been collecting dust since I made this wedding card in July. 

Shopping our Stash has a great challenge this week called "Front and Centre" which is to use up all those bits and pieces that have been lying around collecting dust.  Great motivation or what, I just may have more to enter into this challenge before it closes.

The sentiment is from the same Crafty Individuals stamp set as most of the sea shells in the background.    I just embossed it a few times with clear powder and sprinkled some Persian Sea Aurora Cosmic Shimmer in between a few coats of UTEE.  I made up another 3 for future projects.  Which means I've finished 1 half-done project and created 3 more.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback,

Kate

Ink and Stone

This is a very hurried entry for Mojo Monday Challenge #473 (contest week).   I had the calligraphy panel already stamped up from last July when I made all the teachers' thank you cards.  So I inked up another larger panel and tried to remember guess which Ranger Alcohol Inks I had used.  The colour's not quite right but that may be because I had no Pool which would have lightened it up a lot and given it a more turquoise hue.

I stamped the Stempel Winkel pen and ink pot on the background panel and added a few black pearls for ink spots.

I added a strip of auto adhesive velvet border on the left et voila.

Here's the sketch from Mojo Monday, which I flipped 90 degrees clockwise.

Stamps : Clearly Impressed Writing Set, Stempel Winkel Pen and Inkpot
Dies :  Clearly Besotted Thanks

Thanks for stopping by,
Kate

Masculine Sympathy Card

A friend of mine asked if I could make a sympathy card for her, as a friend of hers had just lost her father.  After deliberation I decided on this tree from WMS Asian Gardens.  

As I had already opened up my packet of Japanese papers last week, I decided to dip into them again.  I thought the waves and bird wings resembled the canopy of the tree.  

I will be entering this card in the current challenge at Cardz 4 Guyz which is to make a sympathy or remembrance card.  

Thanks for stopping by - especially if you take the time to leave some feedback,

Kate

Deer Little Fallow

This poor little fellow's coat of glossy accents is still wet which is why he looks a little milky.  Given a few hours it should be clear with just a hint of twinkle as I sprinkled a little glitter on his spotty coat to give him extra sparkle.

The kraft and gold piece of mulberry paper came from a set of Japanese papers I had been hoarding (and admiring)  for ages.  It was a present from my one of my very thoughtful sisters-in-law who know exactly what I like.  Trouble was I liked it so much I had trouble breaking it open.  Every time I thought about using one I would gaze lovingly at all the beautiful Japanese papers inside for a good good long time and then put the pack away again - couldn't bring myself to cut into one.

The deer was cut from a piece of white card that had been stamped with a polka dot pattern from WMS Gingham and Co. and embossed in gold.  The banner was stamped with a sentiment from WMS Compliments of the Season and embossed in gold.  I wet embossed the edges of a WMS Snowflake 2 with gold and laid some gold pieces into the centre.  The bottom right corner was finished off with a few stars from Frantic Stamper's Village Sky die set.

I used Mojo Monday Sketch 471 as inspiration, and had intended following Julee's brilliant sketch faithfully, but I thought the sentiment would read better left to right rather than down the card, so I rotated the sketch 90 degrees counterclockwise.

I am also entering this card in the 52 Christmas Card October Technique Challenge - to use embossing 

And as they have my favourite kind of challenge (Anything Goes) this week, I'll be entering my card at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thanks for stopping by - especially if you take the time to leave some positive feedback,

Kate

Beautiful Rose

My lovely friends took me out last Saturday for a belated birthday celebration and I thought it would be nice to send them a card to thank them (rather than just thinking about it).  

This 2nd October sketch for Viva la Verve from the fabulous Lesley Croghan inspired me, although this scarcely resembles what I originally had  in mind, which was more in line with this gorgeous card from Lesley.

I was so excited because I thought that I could finally use something that's been in my stash for ages - Spellbinders Label 21.  I just had to have it at the time but have not been able to use it successfully in the 3 or 4 years I have owned it (familiar story anyone?).  I thought that if I embossed it as Lesley has done here, I could get it to work for me.  However my attempts at using the label 21 here were no better and I ended up ditching the idea after two or so hours!!!  The proportions just don't work for me.

At about midnight, I settled upon using this NBUS Sizzix Albany Rose, which I embossed and enamelled with WOW! Pastel Pink embossing powder and UTEE.  I did the same for the leaves from the set Stamp'n Stuff Emerald Green Embossing powder (quite dark for emerald green but I wanted a dark green anyway).

I made this sentiment panel using a die from the Verve Beautiful Flowers die.  I have been wanting to try this for ages. It has previously been just a plain rectangular piece of card, which was a little too plain, so I used a circle punch to invert the corners.

Because the rose was so thick and I wanted this lovely sentiment to sit above the rose (the stem could have been longer),  I ended up mounting the sentiment on a double layer of foam tape.  This didn't look too good from the side view so I wrapped a little peach organza ribbon around the mounting tape and tied a fancy knot at the top - much neater.

I hope you enjoyed your visit and I didn't bore you with too much detail, I love to read posts which explain how things are managed and short cuts/workarounds, as well as what lovely stash items are out there - so if I have the time I'll do that on my own posts.

Thanks for stopping by.  Please feel free to leave some positive feedback - I love to hear from you,

Kate

Cozy Pink Christmas Wishes

Another of the Christmas cards from the set I made for Think Pink last week.  The WMS Sewing Box Christmas and its sister set Sewing Box Hugs are made for paper piecing, so even though time was tight last week I couldn't resist a little paper piecing.  I decked out the tree with die cut buttons (the smallest of the PTI Bitty Button Stacks). I would have used real buttons but my supply was severely depleted from the Buttoned Bauble card I had made previously. A generous coating of Glossy Accents made them a little more realistic though.

I'm entering this card in the (Gah!) Pink Christmas Challenge at Jingle Belles.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback,

Kate

Folkart Dove

This was another of the cards I made for Think Pink last week.  I called on the wonderful talents of Julee Tilman to create some layered loveliness and used her sketch from Viva la Verve October Sketch 1.

I'll also be entering this card in the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown October Theme Challenge to use Christmas Critters.  

Edited to also enter this in the (Gah!)Think Pink Challenge at Jingle Belles

Stamps used : WMS Folkart Christmas;
Dies used : Verve Stitched Pennants; Crealies Stitched Circles; WMS Stitched Rectangles;

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback,
Kate

Pink Buttoned Bauble

I have had this idea in mind for several years and finally got around to trying it out.  This was the first of 10 cards made last week for Think Pink and was a more ambitious design than I had reckoned on and I almost ran out of pink buttons ; ).  Still I was happy with the final product and this on is definitely
one of my faves.

I used Glossy Accent to attach the buttons, lots of it and I piled it on top to give them a pebble like appearance and to make sure they won't come off easily - especially in the post.

I'm entering this card in Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge #82, to use Ornaments.

I'll also be linking this one up to The Jingle Belles Pink Christmas challenge.

Thanks for stopping by - especially if you take the time to leave some feed back,

Kate

Pink Christmas 2016 - Pink Baubles

Last week I made up a pack of 10 pink Christmas cards for the raffle at our local Think Pink Ladies' Night.   I only had four (jet lagged) days to make them up so the designs had to simple.  

This was my last one - a very simple design.  The pink baubles were made with a Marabu Glitter Liner.  The tree stamp is an oldie but a goodie from PSX.  It's wood mounted and very large and it was difficult to get a complete image without a hollow centre, until I learnt the trick of stamping with a funky foam underlay.  The sentiment is from WMS Around Christmas Time and is mounted on a small Verve Stitched Banner.  I placed a strip of mounting tape in the middle and curled the banner to give the impression of it flapping in the wind.

This was its precursor - a more complicated design with just a partial tree, a window and a silhouette of St Nick flying by outside.  St Nick and the sentiment are from WMS 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  When I took this photo the pink glitter liner hadn't dried and you can see it's much lighter and thicker.

I'm entering these cards in Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge #82, to use Ornaments (though I'm not entirely sure this is what they had in mind by Christmas ornaments).

The Jingle Belles have a special Pink Christmas challenge this month for breast cancer awareness and provided much needed mojo for my Christmas card set, so I'll be linking up there as well.

Thanks for stopping by, please call back later when I've had time to show you the other 8 designs,

Kate

Thinking Pink

I love making pink cards but there's something about making them during October that's extra satisfying.  Our annual Ladies' Night is next Friday and I hope to make some pink cards for sale during the evening.  

This card features Waltzing Mouse Old Country Roses.  I've actually had these roses stamped up and ready to go with the intention of using them for Think Pink.

I used Mojo Monday Sketch 469 to help me arrange the elements.  

I will also be entering this card in the following challenges

Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies 

Theme : Breast Cancer Awareness and/or Friendship, optional twist embossing and/or use pink

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take some time to leave some feedback,

Kate