Welcome Mat

Hi, I wanted to make another "nursery" card and swapped the pram for a stork from the Little B Baby Elements set.  This one is an easel and I've laid out the welcome mat as a stopper.  I've bought some new alphabet dies which are smaller so hopefully I'll be able to use them to personalise the mat with a name when the need arises unless the name is very long.

To make sure the stork was glistening this time I coated him with glossy accents and sprinkled him with glitter - I'l be entering him in Casology Challenge #233.

I'll be entering my card in Less is More Challenge # 312 where the theme is "New Beginnings"

and Do-Al(l) Kreatives First Challenge where the theme is "Etwas Neues - Something New"

As well as the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge for January

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you've found something to inspire you.  Your visits and comments always make me smile,

Kate

Welcome Buggy

I started this card last week, but decided I "needed" a die cut Welcome on the top half of this card.  So I  searched the internet and found this Lil' Inker die.  It serendipitously arrived yesterday, the same day Darnell's NBUS Challenge #9 was announced with an optional theme of "hidden word".   So I've used the "Hidden Word" technique for my sentiment.

Challenge 312 at Less is More has the theme "New Beginnings" so I'll be entering my card over there.

and also at January's Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Did you notice the glisten on the elephants' ears on the "nursery wall"?  This week's Casology Cue Card is Glisten so I'm entering there as well!!!

Do-Al(l) Kreatives Challenge # 1 is New Beginnings so I'll be entering there as well.

Edit : I swiped a hint of Seaglass Pigment Ink (ColorQ) over the buggy and embossed it with clear powder.  I'm a little happier with it now.

Thanks for stopping by.  Your visits and comments always make me smile,

Kate 

Have a Ball

I didn't think I would ever finish a card today!  It doesn't resemble anything I started out with apart from the colour combination.  I finally settled upon this new knitting die from Marianne D. which I picked up last weekend at Expo Creativ Luxembourg.  The sentiment was computer generated (unfortunately I don't own any knitting related stamps - do they exist?) and mounted on a Verve Stitched Pennant.

I loved the colours in Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #CIC390 and was determined to play along.

Since I've used gold I'll be playing along at CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #CFC165

This is the Cue Card for this week's CASology Challenge.  There are several die cut pieces on this card, so I hope that's ok.  Originally I had planned to go for a sewing theme and had a die cut pair of scissors cut for the purpose, but I abandoned that idea and went for the knitting theme instead.

Try it On Tuesday has an "Anything but Square" challenge.

Inky Chicks Challenge 77 has an Anything Goes theme so I'll be entering there as well.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback.  Then I'll know you were here and can return the favour!!!

Edited 2nd Feb - I modified this card before I gave it to my friend.  There was nothing to tie the blue card base to the front panel so I added some blue spots and I'm much happier with it now!  If you're wondering how I cut those spots, I used the Verve Award Banner which has the added benefit of producing two sizes of confetti.  

Kate

White on White Winter Walk

Another snow storm this morning followed by some lovely sunshine, prompted me to make this idyllic little winter card.  Also, I wanted to send some love to my brother in Australia for his birthday and as it's a heat wave there, I thought he'd appreciate this cool card!

The birch trees were cut with an Impression Obsession die from some little Sizzles white card stock (it's adhesive card stock, marketed by Sizzix especially for die cutting which has been in my stash for years).

I cut a snow bank using one of the Simon Says Stamp Scallop Stitches die which served to ground my deer and as a place to stamp my sentiment.  The deer is a Sizzix Movers & Shapers die, embossed in Judykins White Diamonds Embossing Powder (a few times to get a good coverage).  The sentiment and little bird were also embossed with the powder.  I used a WMS Stitched Frame to frame the image for more impact. 

The current Time Out Challenge is Winter Theme with an Optional Twist of White on White - I didn't even use a neutral on the sentiment.

The current theme at Make My Monday is A Winter's Walk

The current Cuttlebug Mania Theme is Winter Wonderland

This week's CASology cue card is Forest 

Simon Says Stamp has a theme of Winter Birthday

The current Seize the Birthday Challenge has an Anything Goes theme (my favourite kind of challenge)

I'll also be entering my card in the current Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge.

This last Challenge is a little cheeky, but when I saw the Word Prompt at  Inkspirational Challenge was Flutter, I added a little bird to my scene.

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

Kate

Rugby Spin Off

I've been on the look out for magnets for a while now as I thought they might make more reliable spinner mechanisms for penny spinner cards than round foam pads layered up.  The pads tend to lose their stickiness after a while, especially if someone plays with them a little roughly (which kids tend to do).  Recently I found two different sets and they were both pretty cheap so I bought a few packs of each to experiment with.   One set were just magnets and the other came with metal discs.  

To accommodate the magnet I cut a channel using 2 Spellbinders Petite Ovals which were 4 sizes apart - i.e. 2 sizes apart in the same set.  I tried it with 3 sizes apart and it didn't spin freely enough.

I cut a base for my spinner from acetate as I hoped it would slide more easily than card, using a Spellbinders Circle die.  Also being acetate it's not easily visible if your spinning object doesn't quite cover it.  I used the second smallest circle to do this - i.e. the smallest set from the Spellbinders Circles Large set, though it was only just big enough, so next time I would use the second smallest from the Circles Small set.  I used glossy accents to adhere this to my magnet to make the bottom half of my spool. 

I then adhered a metal disk which came with the other magnet set to the back of the football (cut using the Cameo).  I could just have attached the football to the magnet but now the football can easily attach and detach from the spindle, making it easier to assemble (and repair if it gets damaged).

I coloured the football red and applied a generous amount of glossy accents.  I used the Silhouette Designer software to create the goal posts but they're a bit thin so I'd make them thicker next time.  The hill top and fence were cut with the MFT Rolling Hills set.  The aeroplane was cut with a Frantic Stamper Village Skies die and the banner came from the Ultimate Crafts Sights of Sydney die.  The letters for the name were rub-ons, though I could just have easily printed this first and then cut out the banner.

These mini magnets were a lucky find, but if you check out local hardware shops you can probably find something equivalent.  I have been thinking about using magnets for other interactive cards.  I thought of attaching a magnet to something like a fish and using a "wand" to make it swim around the card.  With magnets it could look like magic and children love magic !!!

Thanks for stopping by, hope that wasn't too confusing.  If you have any questions let me know and I'll try to pop over to your blog and answer them.

Kate

Beautiful Bee

I found a wasp in the house today - no idea how he got in as all the windows are closed, and it inspired me to make this card using a Verve set I bought late last year called The Buzz.

I did a little selective inking to spell out BEE rather than BE but it was very easy to do.  I thought it fitted better on a square panel and as I'm not averse to the odd pun well…

I have to say I adore the little bee, it stamped and cut beautifully.  If it weren't already so late I'd be making a few more cards using this set tonight.

I'm entering my card in Mojo Monday Challenge #479 where Julee Tilman has designed this pretty sketch.  

You may already have noticed his shiny wings, but here's a close-up.

I loved the effect so much I added another bee to the envelope and glittered those wings too!!!  The Shopping Our Stash challenge this week is "Stickle me Elmo", so I'm entering there as well.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback.  Your comments make my day,

Kate

New Year Fireworks

You know that embarrassing moment when you realise you didn't send someone a Christmas card but they sent you one, exacerbated by the fact that your husband is meeting said person today for lunch…

I thought I'd make a new year card and what a perfect opportunity to use this new Sights of Sydney die my husband picked up for me when he was in Australia last month and I found under the tree on Christmas morning.  

I die cut 2 for extra strength and triple embossed them with WOW! Midnight Dream.  The firework(s) was from the Clearly Besotted Window Dressings Stamp set, which I embossed with various glitter embossing powders.  Sorry the photo is out of focus, I was in a hurry to photograph it before my husband went off to lunch with it.

Lots of lovely challenges have started up again this week so I'll be entering it Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme this week is Start Afresh - use something brand new straight out of the packet, which this die is.  I'll also be entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is New Something - apart from the new die, there is also the new year!

I'm also entering it in the current Inkspirational Challenge which has the following photo inspiration,

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge CFC164 which has celebrations as the key word

and The Male Room Challenge #51, which has an Anything Goes theme.

Edited to include the challenge at Do-Al(l) Kreatives this month which has the theme Etwas Neues (Something New)

Edited to include the word challenge at Just Us Girls this week

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback.  Your comments are always a joy to receive,

Kate