Time Square

 I'm not usually one for New Year Cards, unless I've forgotten a Christmas card and it's too far gone in the season to send a Christmas card  - I'm sure we've all been there!  However after the dreadful year that was 2020, I think it's entirely appropriate to welcome 2021 with bells and whistles and hope that it is brighter for everyone!

My design was influenced by two challenges Time Out Challenge #177 and Inspired By Challenge #155

This massive clock die seemed appropriate and I've been looking for an excuse to open the wrapping!  Originally, I wanted to keep with the all white theme of the Time Out Inspiration so went with white die cut on white card stock - I like to call this technique faux embossing because it has the appearance of dry embossing!  An embossing folder would have been a lot easier if I'd had one - so many little tiny pieces to be removed! The balloons I masked off at different levels, applied glossy accents and then glitter.  At this point I realised I had to abandon the all white colour scheme as I had no white glitter and decided on this silver - it was also looking a little bland!  When that was dry I removed the masks, added the 2021 digits and applied glossy accents to the rest of the balloons.  I was careful when removing the roman numerals, painted these silver and reinserted them into the clock face once it was attached to the card front.  The small balloons were an afterthought - the image was slightly damaged in one spot so I covered it with a balloon and added a few others for balance 😉!

I'm also entering the Library Challenge #74 which is an Anthology i.e. choose a book from a previous Library Challenge.  I chose Challenge #21 from November 2018

I'm also entering Inspirational Challenge #229 which is to use something in your home.  I didn't have the forethought to buy balloons before this super strict lockdown was imposed (non-essential sections of the supermarket have been roped off - this didn't even happen in March/April here) but I do have clocks!

Both the current Simon Says Wednesday Challenge and Allsorts Challenge #603/4 have the prompt Sparkle and Shine and these balloons do just that!

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!

Hugs and stay safe,

Kate

Anker's Aweigh

Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed your down time during the festive season.  We are in strict lockdown now - with tighter curfews and school won't be recommencing  until the 10th January.  I'm not sure what's expected of my youngest son (or me) next week yet as his school hasn't yet told us - this latest lockdown was announced after school broke up!

I made this card for a friend of mine who wanted to welcome a new addition to her family in Sweden.  Anker means anchor and she definitely wanted a nautical theme so I made up this card for her - not so different from others I have made for graduations in the past.  This sentiment (Waltzing Mouse Ocean Bound) works well for births and graduations in my opinion!  

Here's a close up of the ship's wheel.  I stamped and cut out the ship (also from WMS Ocean Bound).  I attached the ship to a Tim Holtz Gadget Gear cut from thick card - the sort of card stock used to frame pictures.  I'ts a Bigz die so can handle the thicker card stock.  I centred a small acetate circle with a hole punched in the middle under the gear and used the large centre of the gear to "hide" a brad head.  That way the top of the brad was flat for mounting my medallion on.  Once mounted I set about making it sparkle and shine - glossy accents were applied liberally and a rhinestone was set on one of the stars while it was drying.  Of course I had to add an anchor to the design and decided on this one (Verve Strong Anchor stamp set with matching dies) but given the time again would choose a silver die "tarnished" with green (verdigris) embossing powder.  But we do what we can with the time we have and I didn't have a lot of time for this one!  

Here is the wheel in action!

I'm entering this card in Color Hues Challenge #8

and to these following challenges which both have the prompt "Sparkle and Shine" (click on the subtitle of the images not the images)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge 

Allsorts Challenge 603/4

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!

Hugs and stay safe,

Kate

Polar Expressions

This Polar Bear die set (Amy Design) was another NBUS item I was determined to use before this Christmas was over!  Thank you to Darnell and NBUS Challenge #21 for giving me some much needed incentive to use the stuff I buy rather than just admiring it in its packaging!  

I cut the bears from off-white card stock, distressed them with Broken China DI and created a snowy night time scene using some DP and this stitched cloud border die - I was surprised how well this die doubles as a snow bank!

Another reason I wanted to use these dies was that the prompt for this Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge is Christmas Critters.  

At 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, the challenge is to use a previous 2020 challenge and I chose the September 2020 Theme Challenge which is Polar Bears/Penguins.   

Use Your Stuff Challenge #412 has a Winter/Snow/Christmas Challenge

and Inkspirational Challenge #228 also has a Snow Challenge

The Sisterhood of Crafters has an Anything Christmas/Winter Goes Challenge

Last but definitely not least, I would also like to enter Pixie's Snippet Challenge #393!

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!

Hugs and stay safe,

Kate

Brrr Baby It's Cold Outside

I noticed there were quite a few challenges which included Snowmen, so I thought I'd make a card which included one.  I had forgotten I had this snowman - I bought it years ago from Action and he's sat neglected in a box all this time!  He's really quite cute with his wonky eyes and he comes with a matching die as well so I thought it was time to try him out!  

I noticed Little Red Wagon Challenge #580 had the prompt "It's Hip to be a Square" (and I've been singing that Huey Lewis song ever since LOL) so I designed the card with a square scene rather than the usual rectangular matting - which was great as it gave me plenty of room to stamp a sentiment (rather than adding it later on a die cut label).  

As I was working on the layout, I suddenly had the idea to attach him to a "spring" so he would shiver.  The "spring" is just a strip of acetate (leftover from packaging) which I folded into a "z", cut a slit in the bottom layer of snowman (there are 3 layers for sturdiness) and a slit in the black square so he stays securely attached to the card front.  Now he shivers if you give him a poke!

My main source of inspiration came from Just Add Ink Challenge #536 which had this cute photo inspiration.  I used a woodgrain background and coloured his scarf red - I did try to add candy canes but the ones I have were way too big!

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #435 had the prompt "What's Black and White and Red All Over?" so I 

kept the design black, white and red and resisted the urge to add some greenery!  

I'm also entering the following Challenges (click on the subtitle to follow the link not the photo)

Card4Guyz Challenge #260 - Snowman/Snowmen

Inkspirational Challenge # 190 - Snow

Allsorts Challenge Week 602 - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!

Hugs and stay safe,

Kate

Tartan Scottie

 

I had the idea to cut this Scottish terrier die (Marianne D) from tartan and make some very Scottish Christmas cards for some Scottish friends.  I grounded him on a strip of red card stock - which I like to think of as a red carpet!  I added some holly (Memory Box Mini Holly Leaves) to his rather debonair glossy red neckerchief.

Here is a closer look at the two cards.  I wasn't happy with the first attempt (in gold) - too busy, so I made the second one in white and was much happier.  This sentiment (Dutch Crafts) was very tricky to work with!  If I make another one (I have another Scottish friend to make for), I think I'll go with a stamped sentiment.

The embossing folder is new (Craft Sensations) so I'm entering NBUS Challenge #21.  

Other Challenges I'm entering are (click on the link within the subtitle not the image)

The Male Room Challenge #145 -  Tartan and Plaid

Allsorts Challenge Week 602 - Got to be Christmas

The Jingle Belles Final Challenge for 2020

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #520 - Optional Twist Merry

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!
Hugs and stay safe,

Kate

Sweet Christmas Wishes

There's only one thing more addictive than playing with penny spinner cards and that's making them!  I thought this peppermint candy stamp would make a great spinner element and it didn't disappoint!  Here it is in action!

I die cut the sweetie with a smaller circle (just couldn't get the border as even as I would like), layered it with another two circles for stability and added a double helping of glossy accents.  The green peppermint candy was sprinkled with glitter while the glossy accents was still wet.  There's a magnet attached to an acetate 1" circle which runs under the track and another magnet on the back of the peppermint candy.  

Stamps : Waltzing Mouse Stamps(WMS) Elf Made - Peppermint Candy; WMS Candy Jar Christmas Fillers - Candy Canes and Bow (and matching dies); WMS Say it Loud - Christmas and Wishes sentiment.

Dies : Tim Holtz Winter Foliage; Love2Craft Home Sweet Home; Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles.

Here's a closeup of the red card

Here are the Challenges I'm entering - click on the link within the subtitle of the images.

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge  - Red and Green

Make My Monday Challenge #137 - Christmas Card

Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge  - Anything Goes Christmas/Winter

Cardz4Guyz Challenge #259 - Traditional Christmas

Jingle Belles  - Anything Goes Christmas

This Tim Holtz Winter Foliage set just arrived this week so I'm entering NBUS Challenge #21

NBUS Challenge #21 - Never Before Used Stuff

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!

Hugs and stay safe,

Kate

#Elfie

I framed this little elf from Waltzing Mouse Stamps Elf Made with a MFT Precious Polaroid die and added the #ELFIE with letters cut with the Craft Emotions Uppercase alphabet.  I wanted to make it look like he was just popping into the picture so stamped him on an angle.  I'm not a great colourist, but I can stay in the lines with the help of some fine point tips for the Letraset Promarkers.  I kept the polaroid background simple with just a bit of distressing with Broken China DI and added a piece of checked patterned paper behind the polaroid - this paper has a lovely texture as well.  I matted this  circlular sentiment (Papermania Let it Snow) with one of the Spellbinders Splendid Circles and coated them both with glossy accents and added some splinter glitter (long grain glitter) which I think was a freebie with a magazine many, many years ago.

Double D Challenges has a Santa hat Challenge which I really wanted to play along with and this was the closest I had to a Santa hat!  

I was inspired by the colours from this Retro Rubber Challenge #149 graphic and also the panes of the lantern reminded made me think of portrait frames.  The WMS Elf Made set was bought in 2014 (I think).  Waltzing Mouse Stamps closed their doors in 2018 but the designer Claire Brennan now designs for Gina K. and many of the WMS sets have been re-released under the Gina K label (not sure about this set though)!

There were also elements in this graphic from Fusion Card Challenge - the elf and the candy canes hanging from the canister and the green pom poms.

Jingle Belles want us to keep pushing on with our Christmas cards and have left their link open until Christmas Eve

Fab'n'Funky has the prompt Winter Wonderland - make a Christmas or winter themed card!

Cardz4Guyz  has a Traditional Christmas prompt

This Wednesday's Simon Says Stamp challenge is Fun with Dies

The background paper was a snippet from a previous project as was the green card card stock used to cut the letters and the circle frame so I'm playing in Pixie's Snippet's Playground Challenge #392

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!

Hugs and stay safe,

Kate

Bright Lights

 

When I saw Rainbow Card Challenge #24 I knew immediately what I wanted to do!  I have been eyeing this die out of the corner of my eye for a few weeks and wanting to put it to use finally - I think I bought it from Amazon so it's a no-namer, but I liked it because it also has separate bulb cut-outs.  I cut two of the main lights in green and layered them up, then a third one and snipped off the bulbs and finally 5 different coloured bulbs.  Of course I couldn't resist adding glossy accents to the bulbs!  I cut a little Festive Greenery using an old Tim Holtz Decorative Strip Die and hung it and the lights above a Poppy Stamps Madison Window die cut which I inlaid into a panel of patterned paper to give (hopefully) the appearance of wall paper.  The card base is navy with silver sparkles so I could save time and not have to create a night sky - I just added some snow drifts and distressed the edges of these with a little Broken China DI.  

Here's the photo inspiration for the Rainbow Card Challenge!

I bought the lights die last Christmas but have only just got around to using it, so I'm entering NBUS Challenge #21.  If like me you're more likely to buy things than use them, you should seriously check out this challenge - you can enter as many times as you like!

The window and the greenery from this Use Your Stuff Mood Board #411 also influenced my design!

Here are the other challenges I'm entering (click on the subtitle not the photo)!

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Fun with Dies

Cardz4Guyz Challenge #259 - Traditional Christmas 

Fab'n'Funky Challenge #505 - Winter Wonderland

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I'll know where to find you and can return the favour!

Hugs and stay safe,

Kate