Cuttlebug Embossing Tip... NO Lines!

Have you ever tried to emboss a small folder in the Cuttlebug, only to find that the pressure of the plates on the edges of the folder leaves embossed lines on the card?
Well here's a little trick I discovered which avoids that.
Instead of using the sandwich of base A plate, embossing folder plus card and 2 B plates, I use

•  the base A  plate,
•  then the folder with the card inside,
•  a tan embossing mat 
•  C plate.

You get a really crisp emboss and NO LINES!

Another cunning plan!

Red!

Some time ago I bought the tab punch from Stampin' Up and intended getting the stamps which went with it. Somehow the time went by and before I knew it the stamp set had disappeared from the catalogue. However, I managed to get a set second hand, which arrived today and this is my first play with them. I really like them.
For this card, after heat embossing in gold, I used half a tab to make each handbag, the capital letter C from my Cuttlebug Olivia Alphabet dies for the handles and some commas from my Cuttlebug  Hippie Chick Alphabet dies for the clasps.
Apparently there are loads of things that you can do with this particular punch, but I've yet to exploit more projects. The sentiment is also from Stampin' Up.
Crafty Cardmakers - Use red and a die-cut

Christmas in Summer

Yesterday a package arrived with a couple of new crafty bits... some snowflake dies from Marianne's Creatables and a Christmas sentiment embossing folder from Crafts Too. I thought I would put the two together and this is what I came up with.

The white card is pearlised and has a lovely sheen to it, showing off the definition of the embossing really well. I used my Cuttlebug random Dots folder to emboss the backing paper to tie in with the sentiment.

I love simple!

Stampavie and More - Christmas in Summer

Check it Out!

This is a perfect card for how I'm feeling today!

Today my daughter had her 12 week pregnancy scan and all is well!

She has recently had two miscarriages and was really worried in case history repeated itself for a third time, but she came home from the hospital grinning from ear to ear and clutching a wad of photographs of my newest unborn grandchild!

In fact the card is for this week's challenge at My Time to Craft where the theme is entitled 'Check it Out' and also for the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge this week, which is Ice Cream... here it's strawberry and vanilla!

I love to use gingham as a backing paper design and so I opted to use this pretty pink version from Cuddly Buddly for my card.

The image is Lilli of the Valley, as is the sentiment, and I love them both. Obviously I don't know yet whether I'll be making a pink or a blue version of this card when January arrives, but whatever it is, it will be pretty special!

Sir Stampalot's Monthly Challenge

This is another of the stamps I have just bought from LOTV. I think they are just so cute. The sketch just kind of evolved, but I quite like how it ended up.

The paper is Cuddly Buddly and the corners are made from Cuttlebug Vintage squares, cut diagonally and trimmed. The flowers are also Cuttlebug and the leaves are from a Leonie Em punch.

I thought that I would make this card for Sir Stampalot's challenge this month where the theme is Lazy Hazy days of Summer.

My granddaughter arrived and I had bought her a 'Ready Bed'. It's bit like a sleeping bag and airbed combined. She was so excited when she saw it, but when it actually came to bedtime, she wanted to go in her baby bed (the travel cot). She won't fit into it for much longer, so she'll have to try something else! She's here 'til Monday... wonderful!

Another request

Here is another card for a choir member. I have made anniversary cards for her son and daughter-in-law for a few years now and I have to remember what I have done so as not to repeat myself!

This is the classic white on white, with lots of die-cutting and embossing. I like this colour choice for engagements, weddings and anniversaries.

The punched flowers are liberally twinkled with Glamour Dust and embellished with tiny adhesive pearls. The die-cutting is Spellbinders and the embossing is Cuttlebug.

It's for a few challenges too.

The Shabby Tea Room - 'Get your bling on' - Glitter

Dutch Dare - Easel card + Repeat something... the flowers either side of the heart

Daring Cardmakers - Easel Card - option for a shape other than square... this is getting there!

Stamping Vacation Pick 3 - I chose 1) Make an Easel card 2) Do not use anything round on your creation 3) Use pearls on your creation

I was lucky enough to be chosen in the Top 3 last month! Toot toot!

I most probably should have photographed it on a colour other than white, I hope you can see it!

Quick Quotes

At My Time to Craft this week, the theme is Quick Quotes. I have seen so many fabulous sentiments or verses on cards, and when I see a good one I try to jot it down. I'm useless at remembering!

This was was spotted somewhere or other and I thought it was so true.

On the front, the sentiment reads 'Love is like a butterfly'...

and inside it reads, 'it goes where it pleases and pleases wherever it goes.'

The die cutting is Cuttlebug and the papers are Cuddly Buddly and some that was sculling around in the bottom of the drawer, I think it was from one of the first packs I ever bought, probably Docraft!

I'm off to hospital today for surgery on my knee, hopefully they'll be able to clear out whatever has been giving me problems for the past several months.

I don't know if I'll feel like crafting when I get home... we'll see... I may leave it for a day or so!

Penny Black Tree

I really like this stylised tree stamp from Penny Black and it really doesn't get enough outings. However with the theme of monochrome brown from the Penny Black Challenge this week, this image came to my mind.

I used the sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges, making it square rather than rectangular.

The ABC Challenge this week is S for Sparkle... well there is lots of pearlised paper and 4 twinkly gems on this card, so maybe that will count! Sophisticats Challenge this week is So distressing, and as the image is gently distressed with chalk, it's for that challenge too!

I made the fancy ends to the straps with the corner punch from Martha Stewart's Double Loop Punch Around the Page set. The embossing is Swiss Dots from Cuttlebug.

Get Well Duckling!

A card for a few challenges.

Secret Crafter - Get Well

Totally Papercrafts - Distressing

Crazy 4 Challenges - 1 Ribbon, 2 Buttons or Brads, 3 Different Punches

Our Creative Corner - Bows

Sugar Creek Hollow Sensational Saturday Sketch - Sketch

This yummy image is from Penny Black... I intended doing a card for their challenge, but somehow got sidetracked. I gently distressed some of the edges of the card with a file. The sentiment is from MSE, mounted on Nesties. The border punch is from SU and the corners are from Cuttlebug. The paper on the lower half of the card is a digi download from Cuddly Buddly.

Tilda's Flowers

Today we have had a new front door fitted and I have been up and down the stairs to answer various queries from the fitters. It's not exactly as I requested, but it should be altered next week in order to to comply. Never once, when having replacement windows or doors has the job proceeded in a totally straightforward manner. Hey Ho!

We have had to have lessons in how to get into the house using the locking mechanism in this door. It's a trifle more complicated than the last one!

On to crafting... this card is for a few challenges.

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Sugar and spice and all things nice

Paper Cutz - 3 Patterned papers

Cute Card Thursday - Monomania (shades of blue... apart from her hair)

Crafty Creations - Paper piecing (her jeans)

Digital Tuesday -Blue & White +1 (the papers are digi downloads)

Just Magnolia - Punch it out (flowers & word window)

Paperplay Challenge - Shiny Happy People ( the wings are glittery)

Stamp Something - Stitching (faux)

The papers are a mix of Pink Petticoat and Cuddly Buddly, with the denim paper being a free download from the Canon Scrapbook site.

The Magnolia image is mounted on a Nestie Label (4) and the fancy corners are Cuttlebug. The tiny sentiment is from SU.