Wet Saturday

What better way to spend a wet Saturday than in my craft room making cards and listening to a little Finzi... perfect!

This first card is for the challenge at CASe this Sketch

I had stamped the visible Image butterfly some time ago and couldn't decide how to treat it until I saw the sketch at CASe this Sketch and then this ame into my mind!

I inlaid the love die into the front panel by cutting out the first one and replacing it with four plain die cuts, layered on top of each other and finally adding the original on the rest. After this I simply scattered a few tiny seed pearls across this image.

This next card is for the challenge at CAS Stencil.

I made a stencil of uneven chevrons from acetate, using my Portrait. I laid this over my card, masking some of it with paper towels, then sprayed with Cosmic Shimmer Mist in Golden Mint. Actually I was limited in what spray I could use as they have been sitting for quite some time in their box and a lot of the jets were blocked. I managed to get this one functioning by putting the  spray part in hot water and pumping away. It was enough to clear this one but the others were more obstinate. I may end up decanting their contents into other spray bottles.

This in fact was not the card which was sprayed, this is a print that I took from the stencil after I had taken if off the original card! SO I had two images, one positive and one negative.

I cut a couple of leaf sprays, one from card and one from the paper towel I used to mop up the work surface! The sentiment is from Stampin' Up and the butterfly die cut from All Occasion Dies.

The ink I used for the sentiment is Twisted Citron Distress ink... stamped a couple of times to give greater strength of colour. I thought it a good match for the shimmer spray!

More paper towel!

Here is another card for the Paper Towel challenge at CAS Mix Up

I rather liked the splotchy bit of paper towel here and so cut a circle from it to put behind this Alexandra Renke die cut. I cut a second circle in card to stiffen it, so that it could be popped up on dimensional pads. The Sentiment from Alley Way stamps was stamped using Ranger die ink in Electric Lime, which matched my spray shimmer ... from the project which was being mopped up! It will appear at sometime soon I hope,  but today we are on granny duties.. so this is a quick post.

Lots of people have enquired recently about the textured card stock I've have been using.. its Hemp from PaperMill Direct. I've had it for ages and thought it was about time it was used up, hence all the cards using it.

This is my almost completed first try at an Octopus for a Preemie. I was helped enormously my fellow crafter Susan Morris, she must have been so frustrated watching me try to manhandle a crochet hook, but it at least looks like an octopus. Sadly I don't think it would pass scrutiny as I have since realised that I have made more than a few booboos doing this. But put it all down to experience.. .the next one should be better!

Simply CAS

I love making Christmas cards and I was eager to see what CAS Christmas was going to challenge us to make this month.

What a perfect challenge for a Christmas card!

 When I was teaching, my classroom was bestrewn with glitter from about mid November onwards, much to the chagrin of the cleaning staff. Their vacuum cleaners never quite managed to gather up all the stray bits... but it was the kind of detritus that brought a smile to my face... I hate litter with a vengeance. When in Japan recently, I was SO pleased to see that to litter was a prosecutable offence and so the streets were pristine... why can't it be like that in the UK?

Anyway, I digress!

Here is a card made with an SSS tree aperture die. The panel beneath this was made with a Sheena Douglass Snow embossing folder, inked on the smooth inner side. The sentiment die is from Cutplorations, layered and glittered with some superfine glitter.

This card is for the challenge at CAS Mix UP

Here instead of transferring the ink from the paper towel to the card, I just separated the sheet into single layers and added a portion behind the Peek a Boo aperture.  I think it adds texture as well as colour. I also used a piece for the back of the butterfly. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up.

This is my second attempt in as the first one, the paper towel was stuck down badly and so was chucked! I think it looks particularly good for the butterfly's wings so I may be using this technique again in the future.

Today I am going to visit a friend I made through crafting and she is going to teach me how to crochet an Octopus. These are very special and are made to very exacting standards to give to premie babies in their incubators or cots, as the tentacles seem reminiscent of the umbilical cord and seem to give the babes a sense of reassurance and comfort. Many mums of premie babies have been really grateful for them. I only hope that I can manage to get the hang of the technique. Only the perfect ones which pass the scrutiny test will be accepted to give to the little ones.

Wish me luck!

Jingle Bells

There's a new challenge at Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge. As ever it's Anything Goes, but the twist this time is Jingle Bells!

I love these jingle bells from Memory Box.. added to a string which is part of the Memory Box Needle and Thread die set. The sentiment is from Cutplorations and is SO useful!

The front panel was cut with SSS stitched Rectangles and Circles!

I shaped the bells with an embossing tool and popped them up onto dimensional pads.

It is just so great to have a supply of Christmas cards ready when November comes around... no last minute mad dashes to get enough cards made in time for mailing!!