Embossing and Die Cutting

Embossing and Die Cutting 

Crafter's Castle's #05 monthly challenge is "Anything Goes" but there is an option this month to 'Share A Favourite Technique'. 

I have only been crafting for a couple of year now; I started crafting because I had to leave work due to having terminal secondary breast cancer and from being a busy Head Teacher to doing nothing and being not able to do anything either - I was very bored!  So for my Well-being and Therapy I started card crafting.  My favourite techniques in card crafting have to be die cutting and embossing.  There are so many beautiful dies available now and also the same in embossing folders.  I created the card below using both these techniques together.  

There is not much to the dimension of this card.  It is a Vanilla card base (5 3/4 x 4 1/8") with a further piece of vanilla card stock (5 3/4 x 2").  This smaller piece of vanilla card stock has been put through the Big Shot is an embossing folder.  The cream ribbon has been wrapped around the embossed card stock secured at the back and tied in a beautiful bow at the front.  This piece has then been adhered to the card base using foam pads to give that bit of dimension.  Now as the Big Shot is out, the die cutting can be done all in the vanilla card stock.  First two champagne glasses, then (x3) small hearts, next the word 'Friend' and finally (x3) die cuts of the word 'Congratulations'.  These are adhered together with wet glue to give the look of 3D.  I added cream pearls above the champagne glasses which looked like bubbles.

I love the monochromatic look of this card design, everything just came together and found its place on the card and nothing seemed to look out of place.  My daughter's friend, who had just got engaged was very happy with the card that she was given.  I would certainly make one in this design again.  It's a keeper!!

Thank you for looking at my blog page and this particular design.  I would appreciate any feedback please, thank you.

Till next time, keep crafting!

Lorraine

:O)

One Sheet Wonder (12 x 12") Thank You Cards

One Sheet Wonder (12 x 12") Thank You Cards 

Crafter Gaynor Boyce (and my friend) demonstrated on her YouTube channel how to create 14 cards from one sheet of 12 x 12" patterned paper/card.  I need 'Thank You' cards to thank the crafters for all the handmade cards they have made for the Cancer Card Challenge.  On her blog page she has the diagram for the cutting and full written instructions too.  

I chose a piece of 12 x 12" patterned paper with coloured stars on it so that I could add stars as embellishment on each card too.  I die cut the sentiment 'Many Thanks' (x21) in a light pink card stock and then (x14) in a dark pink card stock.  Each of the sentiments had (x3) light pink die cuts and (x1) dark pink die cut on the top.  In my craft stash I found a white ribbon with the words 'Thank You' running through it and used this on all of the cards in some way as well.  My 14 Thank You Cards are photographed below.  

The insides of the cards were left empty so that there was plenty of space to write to the recipients.  But on each envelope I stamped the sentiment "Happy Mail" and the image of the duckling delivering the mail.  This helps the recipient/s know that when this envelope drops on their doormat that it is not a bill!  

I thoroughly enjoyed making these cards, I would love to know what you think of them too.  Any feedback would be appreciated.  

Till next time, keep crafting!

Lorraine

:O)

Walk Like an Egyptian

Walk Like an Egyptian

Stamp with Joy FaceBook Group has a weekly card challenge for its crafty members.  This week is week 22 and it is a Sketch Challenge as shown below:

My entry for this week's challenge is shown below:

I have the past week been trying to concentrate on designing masculine cards because I generally find these more difficult to create.   For my entry I first cut a Kraft card stock card base (5 5/8 x 4 1/8").  I cut a layer of Black card stock (5 1/2 x 4") which was adhered straight to the front panel of the Kraft card base using double sided tape.  I found in my craft stash a selection of Egyptian patterned paper, images and borders.  So I cut up a piece of the Teal blue patterned paper to layer over the black card stock (5 5/16 x 3 7/8").  I used the borders to create the bottom half of the design.  I die cut a (2") black card stock circle and punched a (1 1/2") scalloped image to go on top of this.  The scalloped image was put on foam pads to give dimension to the card.  

To create the flowers, I used a flower punch, punching out (x3) flowers from the black patterned paper and (x3) from the gold patterned paper.  The flowers were then placed in the palm of my hand and I used a stylus to break the fibres of the card stock; making the sides of the flower shapes go upwards. The two different coloured flowers were adhered together with wet glue and adhered to the left-hand side of the scalloped image.  I put a medium-sized pearl into the centre of each of the flowers.  

On the envelope I stamped the sentiment "Happy Mail" and the image of the duckling holding the envelope.  This helps the recipient/s of this card to know that they are not receiving a bill!

I would love to know what you think of my card project, please leave me some feedback, thank you.

Till next time, keep crafting!

Lorraine

:O)

One Wild Ride - A4 One Sheet Wonder

One Wild Ride - A4 One Sheet Wonder 

For the Stampin FOR ALL Facebook group #stampinforall Vicky Thompson set the DT Challenge (21st May 2018) of 'One Sheet Wonder'.  I wanted to make some masculine cards for my card stash, I decided to a 'One Sheet Wonder' but the Stampin' Up 'One Wild Ride' stamp set does not have any patterned paper that goes with it.  (This was designed by the Stampin' Up demonstrator Dawn Griffiths) So I stamped all the stamps from the set in Black Memento Ink on to the piece of white A4 card stock.  I then went onto YouTube to try and find a crafter who had done a 'One Sheet Wonder' tutorial using a sheet of A4 card stock.  I found Michelle Last who's tutorial is called "One Sheet Wonder Blooms & Wishes from Stampin' Up!' Michelle's blog page has the diagram for how to cut the card stock into 7 pieces that are suitable for making up 7 different cards.  

So I cut up my stamped A4 piece of white card stock as the diagram above instructed and collected (x7) White card bases (5 3/4 x 4 1/8") and corresponding envelopes.  I then die cut (x7) motorbikes in black card stock from a die that had been gifted to me by a crafter called Karen Camposano.  So to put the cards together I had the cut up A4 stamped card stock, die cut motorbikes, silver embossed card stock, more black card stock for layering and silver Washi tape. 

Some of the elements of the card were adhered with double sided tape and some such as the dies with wet glue.  Inside the cards I stamped the tyre track mark and I repeated this on the bottom of all the envelopes as well.  At the top left-hand corner of each envelope, I stamped the sentiment "Happy Mail" and the image of the duckling delivering the mail.  This helps the recipients of these cards to know that they are not receiving a bill!

I really enjoyed my first 'One Sheet Wonder' and I ended up with 7 fabulous masculine cards for any occasion.   I would love to know what you think of my card, please leave me some feedback.  Thank you.

Till next time, keep crafting!

Lorraine

:O)

The Lady in Plaid

The Lady in Plaid

The Paper Players challenge has been set by LeAnne and it is a Sketch Challenge #395 as shown below: 

My entry for LeAnne's Sketch Challenge is photographed below:

To create my card design I first cut a White card base (5 3/4 x 4 1/8"), then in my prepared patterned paper I found a piece of multi-coloured plaid (5 6/8 x 3 7/8"); this was adhered with double sided tape straight to the card base leaving a small border.  

Then from my scraps folders I found a piece of Black card stock that I could cut down to (4 x 2 1/2") and another piece (3 1/4 x 1 1/4") to go horizontally.  The plaid pattern was also cut to go on top of the black card stock (3 1/4 x 1").  These two pieces were adhered using double sided tape.  I die cut a red circle (2 1/2"), an white oval (2 3/4 x 2"), a gold sunburst (2") and a white circle (1 3/4").  That is all that needed die cutting.

Next I stamped the lady from Stampin' Up "Beautiful You" onto the white oval and also onto a spare piece of plaid patterned paper.  I then cut out the dress and hat from the patterned paper and with wet glue adhered these to the stamped image.  I cut (x2) black lace (4 x 1/2") and with double sided tape I adhered these to the vertical sides of the largest black card stock.  On the white circle I stamped the sentiment "Enjoy the Simple Things" from Stampin' Up "Botanical Gardens" stamp set.  I also stamped (x3) red hearts from Stampin' Up "Heart Happiness".  On this sentiment I added a pearl that I had coloured with one of my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Marker Pens.  

Now the card had to be put together.  The oval was adhered with foam pads to the black card stock to give the card dimension.  The red circle was adhered flat to the black card stock next.  Then I adhered the black card stock strip with the plaid on top.  Finally, I added the sunburst gold circle with the sentiment also on foam pads.

On the envelope I stamped the sentiment "Happy Mail" and the duckling delivering the mail. This image is to let the recipient of the card know that they have not a bill!  This finished my project.  I would appreciate feedback on this project please, thank you.

Till next time, keep crafting!

Lorraine

:O)

Pretty Little Girl

Pretty Little Girl

The SugarPea Designs Mix It Up Challenge #43 this month is: 

My submission for this challenge is photographed below:

I initially created a White card base (5 1/8 x 4 1/8"), found a Pink Gingham layer (5 5/8 x 3 7/8") in my craft stash and I cut a White stitched frame (5 1/4 x 3 5/8") using one my MFTs stitched frames.  Whilst the Big Shot was out I used lots of different coloured card stock scraps to die cut the different parts of the Little Girl and a (3/4") Pink star.  

Now to put the card together, I adhered the Gingham layer with double sided tape to the card base.  The stitched frame and the Pretty Little Girl (after I had glued all the parts together with wet glue) were adhered to the card using foam pads to give the card dimension.  Finally I adhered the star with snail adhesive.  I haven't put a sentiment on this card yet because I want to know who I am sending it to and for what reason and then I will stamp the sentiment inside the card.  

On the envelope, I stamped the sentiment "Happy Mail" and the duckling delivering the mail so that the recipient of this card will know that it is not a bill!  That completed my project.  I would love to receive feedback on this project, thank you.

Till next time, keep crafting!

Lorraine

:O)

Just Magical

Just Magical

A craft friend who watches CCWM on a Friday night's birthday was approaching and she has a particular love of rainbows.  So I decided to make her a birthday card, this would also go towards my current card challenge total of sent handmade cards to family and friends.  So far I have sent 97 of my handmade cards to family and friends either on their birthdays, to say "Thank You" or even to say "Hi".  May seemed to be a particularly busy month of birthday and my card box emptied quickly.  The card below was made specifically for Maria, "Happy Birthday Maria".

So in order to create my card I found a White card base (5 7/8 x 5 7/8"), cut another White card stock layer (5 5/8 x 5 5/8").  Cut (x2) sets of clouds, using my cloud stencil as a template.  I die cut (x7) stitched circles in the rainbow colours starting from red through to blue.  On the White card stock I sponged from the top with Memento Summer Sky ink.  I was gifted the stamped image of the unicorn from another crafter.  I coloured this in with my ARTEZA Watercolour pens and a bit of Wink of Stella for the 'bling'!  On the bottom cloud section I used my embossing buddy to get rid of any marks or grease and stamped with Versamark "Hope Your Day is Magical" from Stampin' Up "Myths & Magic" stamp set.  This was then covered with Silver embossing powder and heat embossed.  

Now to put the card together.  The blue layer was adhered with double sided tape.  The rainbow coloured circles were adhered with wet glue onto the blue sponged layer.  Both the top and bottom cloud cut outs were adhered using foam pads to give the card some dimension.  Finally the Unicorn was adhered to the clouds using wet glue (due to the very intricate, detailed parts of its mane, hooves etc.)

On the envelope I stamped the sentiment "Happy Mail" and the duckling delivering the mail.  This is to ensure the recipient of my card knows it is not a bill!  I would love to know what you think of my card, please leave me some feedback.  Thank you.

Till next time, keep crafting!

Lorraine

:O)