Elk Family

Challenge #254 has just gone live at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge.  I know it's a bit early to start thinking about Christmas but it's always good to be prepared!

This card was a quick make using a panel I had left over from last Christmas.  After adding this rather large sentiment ( LDRS Christmas Wishes Word) there wasn't a lot of room, however these "whittle" guys fit in perfectly underneath (Poppystamps Whittle Elk and Whittle Deer)!  

I'd like to join the following challenges

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #82 - The Midas Touch (add a touch of gold);

Peace on Earth Challenge #56 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #54 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Ellibelle's Corner : January Crafty Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes;

Crafty Animals Challenge #79 - Anything Goes with an Animal;

Little Red Wagon Challenge #739 - Sentimental You;

12 Months of Christmas Challenge #108 - Anything Christmas Goes Optional Die Cuts

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Winter Solitude

Challenge #255 at Time Out Challenges has just gone live and this fortnight it's an Inspired By Words Challenge with this beautiful haiku from Matsuo Bashō

"Winter Solitude-

in a world of one colour

the sound of the wind"

An Inspired By Words challenge works exactly as you would expect - you take the words from the featured quote and use them to inspire your creation!   You can use one word, multiple words or just the general idea of the quote and if it isn't immediately obvious, please explain how you were inspired! 

 This fortnight we are generously being sponsored by Stamp Simply and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design team a very generous $25 store credit.  

Our Top Pick will also be invited to Guest Design with us in a future challenge.  We're joined this challenge by the very talented Fran Wing of FranMadeInOregon as our guest!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous interpretation of this haiku as well as the rest of the team on the Time Out Blog!

How do these words inspire you and where do they lead your imagination?  We hope you can take Time Out of your busy schedule to come play cards with us!

I was inspired by the words "solitude" and "wind" and the notion of everything being white in Winter and this is what I came up with.  I didn't start out with a Christmas card in mind but the lovely sentiments in this old stamp set (Waltzing Mouse Seasonal Flourish) looked a little wind swept to me and this one fitted the space perfectly so I went with it.  

The whole card came together pretty quickly!  The deer (Poppystamps Nordic Deer) is ever so elegant with its lace collar and saddle!   It does come with a shadow die, but I preferred it without in such a simple setting.  The foliage on the base of the card is from the same set.  The intention is to decorate the deer if you don't want to use the lace collar and saddle - hence the curve!  But I thought it looked windswept!  

I'd like to enter the following Challenges

Simply Clean and Simple January Challenge - Optional theme Winter;

Crafty Animals Challenge #79 - Anything with Animals Goes;

Sisterhood of Crafters - Icy Cold;

Get Creative Challenge #127 - Snow Much Fun;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Under His Wings

We had the most horrible shock this week when we lost a dear friend and member of our community under terrible circumstances.  She went out late in the afternoon on Monday (the first sunny day we'd had in months) and never returned.  With the sub-zero temperatures we have been experiencing this last week, we had hoped she had ended up in a shelter or was visiting a friend and had forgotten to mention it.  It was a tough few days for her family and loved ones as hundreds of volunteers pored through the neighbouring forests as well as neighbouring villages and bus depots looking for signs of her.  She wasn't discovered until Friday afternoon.  

She was such a sweet lady, with a razor sharp wit and a ready smile.   I toyed with the idea of this card during the days she was missing but I couldn't bring myself to start on it until yesterday.  I thought perhaps it might bring me some comfort to make something for her.  I also thought the rest of our choir would appreciate a way to express our grief - her late husband was our former choir director.  And I also wanted to express our sympathy to her family and remind them how loved their mother was.

The angel wings are from the Gummiapan Advent Calendar (Day 8) -  I cut them four times and separated the layers of feathers (it only takes a snip or two) and layered them up for dimension - adding gilding wax to each layer before adhering it to the layer underneath.

The bow is from a Greetery set (Mini Posy Pocket) and I layered this up 3 times for stability as I knew it would be sitting astride the wings.  I added gilding wax to this too.  The bow reminded me of a cardigan Anne would wear.

The sentiment is from one of my old Waltzing Mouse Stamps sets - Fine Feathers.  I heat embossed it with WOW! Metallic Gold Rich Pale Regular onto some off-white cardstock, then cut it with this lovely torn page die (Day 13 from the Gummiapan Advent Calendar).   

I then added more gilding wax around the edges and adhered it to a trifold card I made up specially so there would be plenty of room for everyone in the choir to sign.

Inside I paraphrased something one of our choir members shared earlier in the week when we were desperate for news of her and feared the worst - it offered us all a little comfort!  The wing stamp is from the same set as the sentiment.

I'd like to enter the following challenges

Alphabet Challenge Challenge - U is for Under Something;

Word Power Challenge #1 - I hope this lovely scripture text is appropriate for this new challenge which focusses on sentiments and text;

NBUS Challenge #58 - NBUS Torn Page Frame, Angel Wings and Mini Posy sets;

Thanks for stopping by, your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Blue Christmas Deer

 

I wanted to try out some new dies (Poppystamps Nordic Flourishes Background and Nordic Deer) - needless to say I was not disappointed - they cut beautifully despite being so intricate and the deer in particular is so clever with the way the legs have been designed and I just love the lace!  There is a shadow die for the deer but I've opted not to use it here.

A couple of challenges caught my eye and inspired this creation

Die Traumfabrik #123 - has the movie Cobalt Blue for inspiration;

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #82 - I added a touch of Gold for that Midas Touch;

Little Red Wagon Challenge #738 - Show some snow (this background flourish die is stylised snow flurry isn't it);

Get Creative Challenges #127 - Snow Much Fun;

 Peace on Earth #55 - The bottom right image in this inspiration pic made me think of this Nordic Flourishes background die;

I'd also like to enter the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #58 - The Nordic Deer and Nordic Flourishes Background die are both NBUS;

Four Seasons January 2024 Challenge - Anything Winter Goes;

Crafty Animals Challenge #79 - Anything Goes with Animals;

Krafty Chicks Challenge #698 - Christmas Week;

I'd also like to give a shout out to a new challenge

Word Power Challenge #1 - Use a sentiment that's prominent!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Brrr ... day Greetings!

A few days ago, while visiting the lovely Gundi's blog I spied an interesting challenge - Day of the Month Club Challenge #59 with the theme Penguin Awareness Day!  And as I had just taken delivery of some new penguin dies from Gummiapan it was the perfect opportunity to play with them!

Actually I've used 2 sets here - Penguins and Ice Fishing.  I cut the penguins from white card stock and coloured the black bits and the noses - I did separate them to try and create an illusion of depth but that just looked weird so ended up joining them back together again.   With the hole in the ice, there are three layers.  The bottom layer is a complete die cut (I added a bit of tape behind it to stop the hole from falling out).  Above that I lay another die cut with the hole missing.  Then I cut a (preprinted) panel with a stitched rectangle and the ice hole towards the bottom and snipped off the rim of the ice hole.  Then it was just a matter of laying this panel over the other two layers, trimming off any excess behind and attaching it to the black mat layer with foam tape... then attached that to the embossed panel.  I did accent the ice hole with a pale blue alcohol marker and blender - but it's hardly perceptible in the photograph.

The sentiment was computer generated - I was going to go with the obvious "happy bird-day" but the cold weather we're experiencing here at the moment inspired the brrr...day!  I briefly considered something like "not frozen food again" but opted for this more useful sentiment.  This fun font "are you freakin' serious" is one of Christine Stokes' favourites - Christine has inspired my love of all things Gummiapan!

The background embossing folder is a really old one.  It has no name on it and the packaging was discarded long ago!

I'd also like to join these fab challenges

January Four Seasons Challenge - Anything Winter Goes;

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Cute Critters;

NBUS Challenge #58 - New Penguins and Ice Fishing die sets;

Seize the Birthday #275 - Embossing Wet or Dry;

Little Red Wagon #738 - Show some Snow;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Celebrating 2024

 

I'm here with a reminder card for Challenge #254 at Time Out - where for another week we challenge you to be 

New! 

Hopefully you'll find some time over the next few days to play along with our NEW challenge at Time Out.  We are being generously sponsored by Gina K Designs and they are offering our top pick - as chosen by the design team - a $25.00 store credit.   

Our Top Pick will also be invited to join us as a guest in a future challenge!  And speaking of guests, we are joined this challenge by Cynthia Olheiser of Stampin' in Alaska who has created the cutest Conga line I've ever seen - you really should pop over and see it and while you're there, don't forget to tell her how much you love it! 

 You can interpret "NEW" anyway you like, You might like to use some new goodies or perhaps a new technique or make something for a new home, new job or new baby!  I have chosen to celebrate a New Year - 2024!  I don't want to tempt fate, but I have a good feeling about this one!

I bought this Fireworks die set (Globeland) on Amazon in early December.  It's so kind of Amazon to suggest things I might be interested in purchasing!  Normally I ignore such suggestions but I had been wanting a fireworks die set for a while now and with the New Year approaching I popped this into my basket and checked out before I could change my mind!   And of course, there was that one more card needed after Christmas and so I pulled it out for a play!  

I had some fun blending inks (Chipped Sapphire, Spun Sugar and Squeezed Lemonade) and spattering with water (ok my spattering still needs practice ... lots of practice)!

Then I created a skyline using the die set pictured below!  You may recognise it as I was having a giveaway after Christmas and this was one of the prizes.  This set is meant to create a 3D aperture scene and I wanted a single row of buildings (and that fab ferris wheel) along the base of my card so a little surgery was required - I just snipped the buildings apart and then added them to the base of the card so that they were in a straight line and then trimmed off the excess.  

I cut the fireworks from snippets of holographic card!  Here's a closeup of the fireworks!  Each of the coloured holographic card stocks has a different holographic pattern so they all create different patterns when they catch the light!

I used a couple of new sets here - the Fireworks, the 3D city skyline set and the frame (Pinkfresh Diagonal Stitched Rectangles) so I'd like to enter NBUS Challenge #NBUS Challenge #58!

I'd also like to enter Snippets Challenge #471 where the theme is CELEBRATION!  It's 12 years since Di took over the Snippets Challenge so celebrations are in full swing in the Treehouse!  Here are some of my snippets

I was also inspired by this pic from Inspiration Station Prompt #57 - the silhouette along the base and the different colour "layers"!

I'd also like to enter Make My Monday Challenge #216 which has a theme of New Year!

And the Incy Wincy Challenge for January - Lets's Celebrate January 2024!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Peaceful Deer

Hi everyone, The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge is back for our first challenge of 2024 and Challenge #254 has just gone live.  I know it's a bit early to start preparing for next Christmas but it's always good to be prepared!

 

I had two sparkly deer left over from a previous project and found this lovely 6x12 piece of plaid in my stash from which I managed to cut 2 square panels.  Further rummaging through the Christmas leftovers box revealed two gold glitter bows (Memory Box Mistletoe Bundle)!  Quite a bit more rummaging and I managed to find a snippet of gold glitter paper big enough to cut a "peace" sentiment (Reverse Confetti Winter Words) and another snippet of gold mirror card.  It would have been better cut from glitter card -  and believe me I did look but that's what you get with leftovers.   I stamped the "on earth" (from one of my old Waltzing Mouse sets).

Et voila, 2 really quick Christmas cards made up almost completely from leftovers and snippets - but I think they're ever so elegant!

If you're keen eyed, you might notice that one of the panels is smaller than the other.  The problem with die cutting a patterned paper with straight lines like this one is you have to be really straight - at least someone as OCD as me does!  And one of the panels was slightly off - not a lot but enough to annoy me!  So I cut it again with a slightly smaller frame.  Nothing is irredeemable!

I do hope you'll join us in sharing your Christmas makes - not necessarily cards - with us at the Holly and Christmas Challenge!

I'd like to join the following challenges

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #82 - The Midas Touch (add a touch of gold);

Peace on Earth Challenge #55 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #54 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Ellibelle's Corner : January Crafty Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Winner, Winner!

 

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my Year in Review.  

Random.org has chosen Maria Patrick of Maria's Merry Makings.  Maria get in touch with me leshfamilyig  at  gmail dot com with your name and address and I'll get your prize in the post asap!

Hugs, 

Kate!

Something New

It's a brand new year and we have a brand new challenge at Time Out - we challenge you to be 

New! 

You can interpret "NEW" anyway you like, You might like to use some new goodies or perhaps a new technique or make something for a new home, job or baby!  Or it may be just to welcome in the New Year!  I can't wait to see how you will be inspired!

Challenge 254 is being sponsored by Gina K Designs and they are very kindly offering our top pick as chosen by the design team a $25.00 store credit.  

We had a new addition to our family in December and so that's where I went with "NEW"!  I also used some new supplies!  I signed up for the Gummiapan Advent Calendar in 2023 so spent the whole of December opening a present every day.  This baby cradle was a lovely surprise on the 10th of December and I started planning a card to welcome baby Zoey straight away!

I created a circular aperture (Waltzing Mouse Stamps Pretty Circles die), placed some foam tape around the opening and then added a snippet of some pretty patterned paper behind it.  

First I started with the curtain which was begging to be cut from vellum and I found some pink vellum which was the perfect shade.  Gummiapan dies are designed so that it's very simple to snip the die cuts apart and layer them up.  The frill at the base of the curtain and the gathering at the top were easily snipped off a second die cut (cut from card stock) and added over the vellum - which gave me a way to hide the adhesive I needed to add it to the card.  

The cradle was cut twice.  The first one was kept intact - I even added a little tape to the back to prevent the heart falling out.  From the second die cut I removed the back of the cradle and the legs and laid this over the complete cradle.  I coloured the heart a deeper shade of pink and added this back into the top layer.

I then created a circular aperture (Waltzing Mouse Stamps Pretty Circles die), placed some foam tape around the opening and then added a snippet of some pretty patterned paper behind it - what's the point of having a vellum curtain if you can't see some pretty wallpaper behind it! 

The "welcome" (Winnie and Walter) was cut from the same snippet I used to back the aperture (also cut twice from pink card and stacked).   

I still had enough to cut the name (MFT Little Alphabet Lower) and the teddy bear (Gummiapan Lying Teddy).

With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight vision, I wish I'd chosen a smaller alphabet for the name or made the aperture higher up the panel but it is what it is ... and it should be winging its way to Australia now!

I would like to thank the inimitable Christine Stokes for showing me the possibilities of these die cuts and also Deb Hallett  - both brilliant card makers (I recommend looking up both and subscribing to their YouTube channels)!  I’ve been watching Christine for well over a year now - it was she who put me onto the Gummiapan advent calendar when she showcased each day last year.  I already had a few dies - one of best crafting buddies is Swedish so of course she drew my attention to them at craft fairs we attended together over the years - but I’m pretty sure they were NBUS before Christine showed me the full potential of these little dies!

I'd like to join the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #58 - NBUS Cradle die and Teddy die;

Snippets Challenge #470 - Anything but Christmas is the theme ... and snippets of course!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Something New

Paper Minutes Challenge #827 - Something New

Little Red Wagon Challenge #737 - What's New!

If you haven’t already, you might like to check out my next post, which is a blog hop and prize and finishes later today!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate