Nautical Zig Zags

 I'm currently going through my stash to see what I have half finished - I need to declutter my craft room and I have market coming up soon and I need to build up stock.  I found this panel that I'd stamped and embossed some time ago - the sentiment is from Waltzing Mouse Stamps Ocean Bound and I'd already cut it with this wonky rectangle die (Spellbinders) which I think resembles a sail!

The current challenge at the Sisterhood of Crafters is Sentiment Only and this sentiment does rather take centre stage!  

The current challenge at the Alphabet Challenge Blog is "Z for Zig-Zag" which inspired me to pull out this old Papertray Ink Chevron Stipes die.

The colour scheme is fairly classic for a nautical card but was inspired nevertheless by this {Pin}spirational March Challenge pic.

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

Kate

Lovey Doves

 

Stumped for inspiration, I looked over previous cards I'd made to see if I could CASE them using some of the newer dies and stamps I've acquired in the mean time!  There is something about the 2nd card in this post from 2015 that I just love!  I remember experimenting with grounding the image by adhering strips of black card stock to a white base.  I happened to have some strips of navy card stock lying about on my desk so I thought I'd see where that took me. 

Initially I thought of going nautical but since I'd used such a pretty embossing folder already I scrapped that idea in favour of something more feminine!  Sometimes the fact that I'm a really messy crafter who doesn't clean up completely between projects has it's advantages!   I had some snippets of card in bold yellows, pinks and greens from various earlier projects lying around on my desk which caught my eye and I was reminded of this MFT Birds of a Feather set which arrived last week and then before I knew it this wedding/anniversary card just sort of emerged!  

Firstly I'd like to enter Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #424 since this card was composed almost entirely of snippets!  I haven't entered the Playground for ages because nothing I've made recently has used any snippets - I've generated plenty, just haven't used any!

Next I'd like to enter NBUS Challenge #36 since these love birds are enjoying their first outing!

Next I'd like to enter the Shopping Our Stash Challenge #466 where the theme is Spread Your Wings!

The current theme at the Daring Cardmakers Challenge is "The Early Bird Catches the Worm" so I hope these love birds aren't too late!

I've used an embossing folder so I'm eligible to enter the new embossing folder challenge Can You Handle the Pressure - where the theme is Anything Goes and I even managed to twist a little by adding a touch of green!  Also the Little Red Wagon Challenge #46 which has the theme Emboss Everything.

I'd also like to enter Krafty Chicks Challenge #604 - All Occasions,

Happy Little Stampers March Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

and Inkspirational Challenge #261 which has the theme - Critters that Hop since birds are known to hop as well as fly!

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

Kate

A Purple Cupcake

Tomorrow is Purple Day - a global grassroots event that was formed with the intention to increase worldwide awareness of epilepsy, and to dispel common myths and fears of this neurological disorder.  So I made up a purple cupcake shaker card for a friend who had her birthday earlier this week.

You can find out more about Purple Day in wikipedia and in this Youtube video the very talented young Zoe Wees' relates her personal struggle with epilepsy! 

My experience of epilepsy is watching my youngest son struggling with this debilitating condition for most of his young life.  Fortunately his seizures are (touch wood) pretty much under control now with a cocktail of medication.  But that comes at a price, as they make him very tired and the most recently introduced medication has caused weight problems.  But it's better than the alternative!   

My little purple Cupcake will be entering the following challenges 

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Food and/or Drink

Papercraft Challenge #80 - Interactive Cards

NBUS Challenge #36 - the bunting die is new

HLS March Anything Goes with Dies

Krafty Chicks Challenge #604 - All Occasions

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

Kate

Solidarity Sunflowers for Ukraine

Edited : The kids raised €2300 from ticket sales and the bake sale and all my cards sold!

Some extremely talented young friends of mine are organising a concert for Ukraine tomorrow with a bake sale afterwards.  I can't bake but I can make cards and set about adapting this design from last week (replacing the bee with a peace dove) and made up as many as I had materials available.   I hope all 14 sell tomorrow!

Here's a closeup of the dove - it's the smallest from a very old sizzix framelits set - stacked 3 times and given the glossy accents and glitter treatment!  The greenery was trimmed down from a Verve Sprightly Sprigs set

And here's a short video of the dove in flight - I find these spinner cards mesmerising!

All the cards are packed up ready for sale tomorrow!

I'm entering the following challenges (the link is in the title under the images)

Papercraft Challenges #80 - Interactive Card

Shopping Our Stash #466 - Spread Your Wings

Four Seasons March Spring Challenge - Inspired by bottom left image 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Using My Favourite Things!

HLS Anything Goes With Dies March Challenge

Little Red Wagon Challenge #645 - Use Die Cuts

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

Kate

Lucky Me

 

I'm still working on guide sheets for the card making workshop on the 7th May, and I thought I'd make another shaker card using just a basic shape this time.  This Sizzix Bigz Shamrock Die has never seen the light of day.  I guess I thought I really needed a shamrock die all those years ago but I never got around to using it.  I also had a shamrock punch which had also never been used (and it probably predates my first die-cutting machine)!  I'm seeing one of my best friends today who just happens to be Irish and I thought it would be a good chance to give a St Patrick's Day card - just because!

Here's the inside!

As I was lying in bed last night this "lucky me" sentiment popped into my head!  I did toy with the idea of reversing it ("lucky you to know lovely me") but thought better of it when I caught sight of myself first thing this morning!

There are a few challenges going at the moment - click on the titles under the photos for the links!

NBUS Challenge #36

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Bit o' Green

Four Seasons March Challenge - Bottom right image

Inspiration Station Challenge #25 - I even added little beads to my shaker card for the dew drops

Get Create Challenge #109 - Use Green

Double Trouble Challenge #105 - Thing 1 Bring on the Green

Papercraft Challenge #80 - Interactive Cards

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

Kate

Twofer Cupcake and Ice Cream

I am holding a card workshop in just over 2 months and I wanted to cover shaker cards.  Normally I would just create a window panel on the front, foam tape on the back etc., BUT I bought a die a few several months ago which meant making shaker cards a little differently!  It's not a fancy brand, I found it at the local Action store - a Dutch chain store which sells loads of things cheaply but I spend most of my time (and money) in the craft section!  It's a little simplistic but cleverly designed to create either a cupcake, an ice cream or a cloud!  

I cut 4 of the "frames" from pink card stock plus the solid die from acetate and stacked these up (one above the acetate window pane and 3 below) - this card stock is pretty thick so that was enough.  Filled it from the back and added a solid die cut from patterned paper to close off the element and voila!  

I then chose to make up a cupcake card.  I added a scalloped border cut from striped paper to the top so it resembles a shop awning.  I stamped the word Cupcakes (Verve) - I should really have embossed it so it was a little more noticeable (and will when I make it up for the card workshop)!  I made a counter top from the same striped DP, added a doily and finished off the cupcake with a birthday candle!  That Cupcake embossing folder was a freebie from a magazine but I'm rather hazy on that as I didn't keep the packaging!

After cutting 4 frames I had 4 inner die cuts left over so I decided to layer these up and create a scoop of Strawberry Sorbet atop the cone die which came with the set.  The embossing folder is from Cuttlebug. After fiddling with various sentiments, I decided to just go with the word "Sweet"!  

 

I'm entering my cards in the Make My Monday Challenge #169 - Food and Drink which closes in a few hours so I had better get my skates on!

I'd also like to enter Just Us Girls Challenge #623 - both cards use embossing folders

Since this die is NBUS, I'd also like to enter NUS Challenge #36 and thank Darnell and the team for encouraging us to actually use the stash we buy!

I'd also like to enter Papercraft Challenges Challenge  #79 - Anything Goes

and Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies March Challenge

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

Kate

Solidarity Sunflowers

 I'm in the process of creating guide sheets for an upcoming card making workshop and needed to make up a penny spinner card and photograph the necessary steps.  I thought I'd dedicate the resulting card to the brave men and women of the Ukraine and made it up in the national colours of the Ukraine flag and included sunflowers which are Ukraine's national flower.  Obviously I needed some green but was reluctant to use any other colour than blue or yellow (and black and white of course) so cut the grass and stems from yellow vellum knowing they would appear green against the blue background panel.

I'm entering the following challenges (the link is in the title under the images)

Colour Hues Challenge #36

Modsquad Challenge - Standing with Ukraine

Alphabet Challenge - X is for Xanthic (yellowish)

Little Red Wagon - Let it Be (B is for bee)

Cards 4 Galz Challenge # 167 - Things with Wings

The movie for Traumfabrik Challenge #101 is A Bugs Life

I almost forgot that I used a new  die to cut the clouds in this project(it cuts 6 clouds and they're all a little different) so I'm entering NBUS Challenge #36 as well!

I would also like to enter the current As You Like it Challenge - Favourite Interactive.  This is definitely my favourite type of interactive card to make (and play with) and here's a little video to show you why!

Apologies if I have exceeded any limits on challenge entries, I want the internet flooded with blue and yellow cards!

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

Kate

Read On

I'm preparing some kits for a workshop in May and this is one of the projects I'll be including in the kit - a Bookmark Card.  

The Sweetpea Designs Read Between the Lines stamp set and the Brainy Bookmark Die set were no brainers for this design!  There is a tag in the die set but I used another die from Love 2 Craft because it has a stitched edge.

I made the pocket from a 6x6 sheet of designer paper - I have way too much of that!  Left over bits were used to trim the bookmark.

I stamped the text with brilliance Galaxy Gold and trimmed the bookmark with gold foil paper.  The READ and specs were cut from the same paper and I couldn't resist adding a little glossy accents for the lenses.

Imagine my surprise when I noticed a "Pocket" challenge at Double D Challenges! 

 I also spotted a "Let it Be" challenge at The Little Red Wagon Challenge # 643 - include projects that have something to do with the letter B.

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #465 has a Full Metal Jacket Theme and as I've used Gold Foil Paper, I'd like to enter there are well.

I'd also like to enter Papercraft Challenge #79 where Anything Goes!

Finally I'm entering the NBUS Challenge #36 as I've used a new tag die!

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

Kate