Easter egg Hunt

 

I made this card quickly to send to my son for Easter.  I thought I could cut corners by using funky foam instead of a few layers of card stock to build up the eggs.  Unfortunately with the stitched borders on these eggs, this leaves an indent in the funky foam so lining up the image meant the funky foam could still be seen so I had to trim some of the foam which made it a little messy.  Definitely not one of my better cards but I'm sure my son will love it and appreciate the work that went into it.

 I decided on this sentiment from A Good Egg from Waltzing Mouse Stamps because he's been a bit down lately with all the bad news on Covid-19 - he's a very sociable person and the isolation has been tougher on him than most.  The sentiment actually was one long sentiment and I'm afraid I performed a little surgery on it to break it up into two lines - I can always join it up again later.  

I'd like to say I added that yellow egg to brighten up the card a bit but you as fellow card makers know a cover up when you see one - turns out Versafine ink takes a fair while to dry!  

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Cuttlebug Mania - Put a Bunny on it;

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Easter;

Make My Monday Challenge #145 - Easter or Spring;

Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies March Challenge;

As You See it Challenge #246 - Easter Thoughts

My thoughts this Easter go to my two older sons who won't be here for Easter.  Today I've organised their deliveries of chocolate.  On Easter Sunday I'll be having an Easter egg Hunt in the garden with our youngest.  My thoughts will also be with my choir friends who I would normally sing with on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  I miss them terribly but am too afraid of risking my husband's and youngest son's health to join them.  Masks may provide enough protection but then again, this is an incredibly contagious virus and a deadly one for some.  

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I’ll be over the moon!  I’ll also know you were here, so I can check out what you’ve been up to and we can get better acquainted!

Kate

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

 

I was contacted last week to make a card for someone's daughter who will be turning 7 shortly - perhaps with a unicorn and maybe a rainbow.  The proceeds of this will go towards the Ilula Orphan Program in Tanzania to help the children and their support staff stay safe and healthy, now that COVID-19 has reached the isolated community.  

I die cut three of  these darling unicorns (Tattered Lace) and removed the "bits" from the one that would be on the top and coloured them with various pastel-coloured alcohol markers colours and then reinserted them. then stacked it up with the other two plain white ones and added glossy accents to the tail and mane and sprinkled glitter while it was drying - which not only made sure the tail and mane would sparkle but also that those bits wouldn't fall out.  Eventually I added another 2 coats of glossy accents.  

I coloured the rainbow with the same alcohol markers  - it's from an NBUS set, so I'll be entering it in NBUS Challenge #24.  I placed these small clouds at the bases of the rainbow and gave them the same sparkly treatment I had given the uncicorn's tail and mane.  I ended up adding another 3 clouds to the design for balance and support for the rainbow (along with some foam tape in a few spots).  The name was die cut with the smallest alphabet set I had from holographic white card stock and curved over the rainbow.

I shaped the "hill" with a Simon Says Stamp Wavy Scallop Stitches and the whole panel was cut with a Crealies Stitched Rectangle. 

I'm entering the following challenges

Papercraft Challenge #68 - Regenbogen/Rainbows

Shopping Our Stash Challenge # 441 - Rainbow Connection

Alphabet Challenge Blog - Z is for Zoology

Krafty Chicks Challenge #552 - All Occasions

Happy Little Stampers March Anything Goes with Dies

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I’ll be over the moon!  I’ll also know you were here, so I can check out what you’ve been up to and we can get better acquainted!

Kate

A bit of purple

26th March is Purple Day - a day to get people talking about and to raise awareness of EPILEPSY!   My youngest has it and it can really break your heart seeing your baby go through this.  He's now seventeen, and the seizures are (touch wood) under control.  His last seizure was late 2019 and he had been almost three years free prior to that.  It's always necessary to tweak his meds now and then to make sure they can keep up with his growth (he's grown 7cm and put on 18kg in the last year) so they've just been tweaked again.  I hate giving him the meds but I hate the seizures more.  We're fairly certain the reason he had the seizure in late 2019 was because one of his meds had been lowered (because another had been raised) which answered the question "I wonder if he still needs them".  When I say a seizure it's more a cluster of seizures.  They won't stop until he's admitted to hospital, given a large dose of diazepam, put on a steady dose of that for at least 24 hours and then (assuming they stop) slowly reducing the levels until he returns to normal and we can return home.  He really is the most lovely child though - my little ray of sunshine!  Well actually he now towers over me so not so little really!

That's the view of a parent of a child who suffers from epilepsy.  If you want to get an inkling of what it's like to have a seizure, I can recommend this song from a young girl Zoe Wees called Control.  You can watch it on Youtube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGS_6_HglU.  She wrote this song as a tribute to her teacher who helped her through numerous seizures.

Anyway back to the card.  A few days ago I saw a brilliant card made by Sandie of London Days - you can see it here!  Mine is a much simpler version because I used patterned paper rather than creating my own background, but I loved the subtlety of it.   I cut the cross from the background, stacked up 3 plain crosses and then added the original cross to the top.  It's almost invisible because the pattern is seamless.  My die (a no-name die I bought in Dortmund end of 2019) cuts a framed cross - let me tell you keeping that outer cross from twisting is a right pain so I simply reinserted the original frame cross into the background and only raised the middle cross.  Here's a photo of the card more head on so you can see the how the pattern of the paper seems to run over the top of the cross.

I picked the patterned paper before I went to bed last night,  and went to sleep dreaming up a design.  In my dreams though the cross was bigger than it actually is so my "dream" plan to place an egg or two at the base of the cross wasn't going to work - not with the egg dies I have in my stash!  I was just going to place the blessings die cut at the base but it looked too much like a sympathy card without the eggs, so I spelled out "Easter" on the top.  I also added some flowers (Tim Holtz Funky Foliage - Oh I love this set) and coloured them with alcohol markers.

I didn't really make the card with any particular challenge in mind, but I knew there were a few Spring challenges at the moment so I'll be entering them.  I would also like to enter NBUS Challenge #24 because the "blessings" die is NBUS - sadly Winnie and Walter have closed their doors now.  

Challenges

Daring Cardmakers Challenge - Say it Loud;

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #401 - Make Your Mark (coloured the little flowers);

Pixie's Snippets Playground - used snippets for the flowers, the sentiments and the underneath crosses;

Modsquad Challenge Blog - Springtime;

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Spring;

Timeout Challenge # 184 - inspired by Words

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I’ll be over the moon!  I’ll also know you were here, so I can check out what you’ve been up to and we can get better acquainted!

Kate

Sending Love (and Butterflies)

 

I saw a gorgeous card on Pinterest not so long ago with stamped ferns in the shape of a wreath in colours of a pastel rainbow.  I've been wanting to try it for a while and being the mail to Australia is so slow, thought I'd make up a card for my mum for Mother's Day (2nd Sunday in May) using this technique.  My attempt isn't all that great but I'm sure my mum will treasure it anyway and appreciate all the love that went into it.  This was the 2nd attempt - I kept the first as a guide of what NOT to do!

I don't think I've ever made a circular easel card before and I went wrong somewhere (I'm still not sure where though).  I lined it up straight, but when it was opened, I realised the image twisted slightly.  It wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't used linen card stock with an obvious grain!  Because I'd put so much work into the panel, I removed it to try again but it got a little warped in the process 😞!

I have a few sprig and wreath dies that would have been good for this purpose but I wanted the ethereal look of the overlapping stamps and the closest I had to a curved fern was this Simple Sprig (Waltzing Mouse Stamps - gone but never forgotten).  Well 5 of the 8 leaves to be precise as the other 3 would not lend themselves to the curve.  So I selectively stamped  (placed removable tape over the unwanted foliage) the sprig in the six colours of the pastel rainbow produced more or less the desired effect.  There were some problems with where the sprigs met so I added butterflies to cover these and then added a few more so there was one in each colour.   My Memento Tuxedo needs reinking (or replacing) so I've used Versafine.  I do love stamping with Versafine BUT it takes forever to dry and it seems to react with alcohol markers.  It's barely noticeable but you'll notice it in the closeup coming.  I'm loving this butterfly stamp.  I saw it a few months ago at Action (the closest we have to a dollar store in Luxembourg).

For the sentiment, I chose this "Sending" die (Glossily Cccented of course) and "LOVE" spelt out.  I sprinkled glitter on the LOVE as the Glossy Accents was drying (because I accidentally smudged one of the letters) which looks rather spectacular IMO!  I even managed to capture some of this magic - makes me think of a black opal!  You can also see the dimension of the butterflies.

I'm entering Papercraft Challenge #68 - which has the prompt Regenbogen/Rainbows and

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #441 which has the prompt Rainbow Connection;

I'd also like to enter the ModSquad Challenge which has the prompt Springtime;

The Sisterhood of Crafters with the prompt Easter/Spring;

Daring Cardmakers Challenge with the prompt Spring Things

I'd also like to enter Retro Rubber Stamps Challenge #154 - Anything Goes.  The Simple Sprig Stamp was bought in 2013.

I'd also like to enter NBUS Challenge #24 because the "Sending" die just arrived today in the post.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I’ll be over the moon!  I’ll also know you were here, so I can check out what you’ve been up to and we can get better acquainted!

Kate

A Few 60th Birthday Cards

 I'm having a quick break from making cards to catch up on my blog today.  Here are some cards I made for a friend who has a bunch of friends turning 60 this year - two with butterflies, two with dragonflies and one with a very busy bee.  I tried to make them all a little different - with different papers and slightly different sentiments!  This is the first one I made whose birthday is this month - not that there will be any festivities just yet!

After I showed her this one, she asked for the others to be "less pink" so I went with a blue panel and a smaller butterfly.    

The more eagle-eyed may notice a channel in the card!  This is my go-to card design most of the time - dead easy to make and very effective when in action!   

Then I switched to dragonflies - same concept though.  We discussed that since some of the friends know each other, it wouldn't be fair to give some interactive cards and others "plain" ones.  The panels and sentiments are still different.  I used a mix of the Simon Says Stamp Happy Birthday die and the Crealies Happy Birthday and Upper Case Alphabet sets.  A little gloss and glitter et voila!

Lastly was this busy little bee - which was her favourite!  

Being the smallest spinning element he really is very busy and the gossamer shine (glossy accents and glitter) on his wings really catches the light as he spins!

I was worried she didn't like them (after the "less pink" comment on the first one) so I dropped them off personally (wearing a mask and we were in the garden).  I needn't have worried - her eyes lit up when she saw them and she has made a very generous donation to the Ilula Orphan Program so I know she was well pleased!  

I'm entering the Butterfly Cards in the following challenges

Day of the Month Card Challenge #25 - 2nd Birthday and Learn about Butterflies Day

and The Card Concept Challenge #151 which has this beautiful photo inspiration - obviously inspired by that butterfly and its main colour.  I would describe my cards as Clean and Layered or possibly Clean and Graphic or possibly Classy and Elegant.

I'd also like to enter the Bee Card into the current Alphabet Challenge - Y is for Yellow!

and all 5 cards into the Fab'n'Funky Challenge #515 to use non-square cards 

and the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #WWC311 - all things feminine!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I’ll be over the moon!  I’ll also know you were here, so I can check out what you’ve been up to and we can get better acquainted!

Kate

Twofer Feathers

 

The March Twofer Challenge is a little different - we get to choose our own twofer element and I chose Feathers!  I love the Twofer challenges - they're a challenge for my brain as well as for my hands!  I also got to use some NBUS items as the Feathers I chose for this challenge are from a new (for me) set (Funky Nature) set so I'll be entering NBUS Challenge #24 as well!

The first card is a Moving/New Home card.  Here's a closer look.  I used a few different Core'dinations card stocks.  Remember when they were all the rage?  I thought they would add to the rustic feel of these dies and it feels good to use something I've forgotten about in 10 years!

I cut a few branches down to make enough twigs for the nest, then it was just a matter of layering it on a branch and adding the eggs and of course the feathers - you can't feather a nest without feathers!  The sentiment is from Waltzing Mouse Stamps A Good Egg.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges Time Out Challenge #183 - Do Your Different Thing!  I don't usually use these Core-dinations card stocks (which explains why I have four barely used pads full)!  Distressing is something else I don't do often.

I'm also entering Challenge #78 at The Library which has the following book as inspiration

And the current Fusion Card Challenge which has the following inspiration

and the Daring Cardmakers Challenge and Always Fun Challenges #205 which have the prompt of Spring.

Here's a closer look at the second card which is a teacher appreciation card.  The feather here being used as a quill to be dipped in this little ink pot.  This is for my son's male teacher - hence the absence of pretty colours and the use of wood was necessary as Simon is in the Bois Class this year.

I wish I had stamped the sentiment before I assembled it!  I tried to stamp afterwards and while the ink splat worked, I had to mount the sentiment on a frame to cover up an unsuccessful attempt at stamping on the front panel.  I do like the look of the stitched Kraft frame but it might hinder the spinner the spinning feather.  

Here is the feather in flight

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Inspirational Challenge #235 - Fur/Feathers

Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies March Challenge 

Fab'n'Funky Challenge #515 - No Square Cards

Retro Rubber Challenge #154 - Anything Goes 

(the ink splat is from a 2016 Stamp set and the sentiment is from a 2014 set).

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I’ll be over the moon!  I’ll also know you were here, so I can check out what you’ve been up to and become better acquainted!

Kate

MIA and a few Sympathy Cards

 Sorry I've been a bit preoccupied the last few weeks and haven't been posting.  I have been creating, I just haven't had time to post.   One of my favourite charities (an orphanage in Tanzania where I foster a child) is doing it tough.  Not only has just about all the fund-raising either been cancelled or curtailed since COVID reared its ugly head, but the virus has now reached the isolated community.  I've been creating cards to sell to raise funds.  So far I've raised over €500 and the last 3 weeks I've been flat out meeting demand.   Not that I'm complaining, it's good to keep busy and helps keep my thoughts away from dark places.  You may have heard the EU has not done well with the vaccinations thus far and we have no idea when we will be vaccinated and life can return to normal.  In fact my son's teachers are preparing for more  home-schooling for the week before and the week after the Easter holidays (four weeks at home will drive us both bananas)!   At the moment my mantra is "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming" like Dory from Finding Nemo!  Here are some cards I made for a friend who needed some sympathy cards using a few NBUS items.  

The first is a wild daisy made using on of the the Tim Holtz Wildflowers 3 dies.  I cut three and layered them up to give dimension and sponged some Wild Mustard and Black Soot Distress Inks onto the flower centre (masking off the petals) and Peeled Paint DI onto the stem.   I was lucky enough to find this panel of DP with other wildflowers as a backdrop.

I'm entering this card in the following challenge

Daring Cardmakers - Plant a Flower

This second card was made with a dandelion die I bought at Dortmund (Creativa 2019 - remember those days when we could attend public events).   I just blended a few inks onto a panel, added a few drifting dandelions and a sentiment.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges 

NBUS Challenge #24 - There is unused schtuff in all these cards, but this dandelion die is the oldest

The Paper Players - see picture below, the dandelion in the top centre captured my imagination!

This third one is something I've been wanting to try for a while.  I used a butterfly swarm die (Aliexpress) to create a large number of various sized butterflies and added them to a Twiggy Tree (Memorybox)  instead of blossoms.  I love my Twiggy Tree die and have probably used it every spring for the past nine years I've owned it.  It reminds me of the Japanese plum tree outside my kitchen door - which is preparing to burst into life any day now!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges 

Day of the Month Club Challenge #25 - Learn About Butterflies Day and 2nd Blog Anniversary

Modsquad Challenge - Beautiful Butterflies

CAS on Sunday - Spring

Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  If you leave a comment, I’ll be over the moon!  I’ll also know you were here, so I can check out what you’ve been up to and we can get to know each other better!

Kate