Autumn leaves are falling

Hello there,

Today's post is to let you know that we've a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog, the theme this month is your favourite time of the year. This could be Christmas, Easter or any of the seasons for example, the choice is yours. I've chosen autumn, I love the changing of the leaves and all the different colours this produces, plus I do like crunching through the dried leaves on the ground!

Card recipe

8 x 8 Kraft card blank

Copper mirri card

Clarity Indian Summer designer paper pad

Kanban trees stamp

Cardi-O stamps for the leaf border

Promarkers to colour the image

Tonic leaf embossing folder

Happy birthday die 

Skeleton leaves - found in my stash when having a sort out

Copper brads

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave me a comment if you've time, I love reading them. 

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see you.

Sun ray birthday card

Hello there,

Here's another go at paper piecing using the Tonic Sun Ray Scene die, the others are the Summer Cornfields and Sunshine and Flowers.

This time I cut the Sun Ray Scene die from kraft card, did a partial cut of the bottom from green Craft Perfect card using the textured side to represent the grass in the fields. The two shades of yellow were leftovers from the other cards.

I layered the kraft card frame on to cream card, then that on to gold mirror card and then finally on to a kraft card blank. I then paper pieced the bits into the frame. I cut the centre circle from gold card and layered it on to gold mirror card to match the mount. The sentiment is cut from a Kanban page of sentiments. 

I'm entering this in to the Win & Tonic July Challenge: Anything goes.

I hope you like this variation, if you've time to leave a comment it would be much appreciated.

Best wishes in cream and gold

Hello,

This is a card I've made using some of the "leftovers" in my bits and bobs box.

I used a light gold 7 x 7 card blank and a mix of cream, dark gold, light gold and a cream and gold patterned card backing card from Hunkydory. The centre piece is made using the Tonic Decorative Wreath die with different elements in gold, cream and dark gold which were left over from other cards. The flower was cut using a Tattered Lace die, and the sentiment is cut from a Kanban page of sentiments. I finished it off in the corners and the middle of the flower with gold pearls.

I'm entering this for the following challenge:
Win & Tonic July: Anything goes


Thanks for stopping by, any comment you'd like to leave would be much appreciated.

Black and white birthday butterfly

Hello there,

I really like monochrome cards, particularly black and white, but also sometimes with a bit of red added into the mix.

For this card I used an 8 x 8 card blank and added a black mat. The large white mat and smaller panel are both made using some Kanban embossed roses card which I've had in my stash for ages. The small square panel is also layered on to a black mat, placed over some black satin ribbon which I also used for the bow. The pre die cut butterfly is also Kanban from a black, white and red kit I picked up ages ago at a show, it was going cheap as it was all in German! I added some black gems to the body of the butterfly and a swirly gem trail, a Craftwork Cards sentiment and gems to the corners.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Crafty Girlz Challenges: Black and white theme
Seize the Birthday: ATG
Tuesday Throwdown: Favourite embellishment - Butterfly


Thanks for stopping by, I hope you like it and if you have time to leave a comment that would be great.

Ho Ho Ho Santa!

Hello,

I'm pressing on with the Christmas cards and getting inspiration from challenges. I matted and layered some white embossed Kanban Christmasy card onto red card then on to an A5 card blank. I found Kanban Santa and Rudolph toppers which I've had for ages, and die cut 2 red Hs and Os and 1 green H and O using a Tonic die which a glued onto white card. Then I punched some red and some green   scalloped  circles to mount them on to. I arranged them on the card and finished it off with a red ribbon bow which was decorated with white Christmas trees.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
CHNC Challenge 239 Ho! Ho! Ho!

If you'd like to leave a comment that would be great.

Merry Christmas - with a gold bow!

Hello,
For this card I used a cream 5 x 7 landscape card, the cream backing card is from Kanban, again bits left over from other cards, and the holly paper from a Bo Bunny magazine freebie. All were matted and layered on to green mirror card, I created the Merry Christmas sentiment from Washi tape, then finished it off with a gold organza bow and ribbon to match the gold in the sentiment. This was quick and easy so I may well make more of this style but using papers and ribbon in other colours.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:
My Time to Craft Challenge Blog: Christmas in July
Pile it on: Christmas/Winter in July

Thanks for stopping by, any comments are gratefully received.

Deck the halls Christmas card

Hello,
getting into the swing of Christmas cards so thought I'd make a couple more. I found the Deck the Halls dies cut in my bits and bobs box so decided to start with that, it's a Tonic Sentiments die I've had for a couple of years. I also used the Tonic layering squares to cut the mats for the sentiment, really handy to have the basics like this rather then relying on cutting with a trimmer or guillotine! The cream backing card is Kanban, again bits left over from other cards, and the paper from a Bo Bunny magazine freebie. All were matted and layered on to green mirror card, then onto a cream A5 card blank using the Die Cuttin' Divas sketch, then finished off with a poinsettia and red pearl.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:
Die Cuttin' Divas: Christmas in July
My Time to Craft Challenge Blog: Christmas in July
Pile it on: Christmas/Winter in July
Tuesday Throwdown: Christmas in July

Thanks for stopping by, any comments are gratefully received.

Lilac birthday dress

Hello,

This is a card I made a while ago but had forgotten to post! I started with a cream 8 x 8 card blank, matted and layered some lilac card and then some backing card from a Kanban kit I've had for ages. I cut the Tonic Tres Belle square die from the same lilac card, then the Mannequin from a paler lilac card. I cut her dress from the darker lilac card, added some tulle and layered them up. I added 3 lilac roses and a sentiment, and a single rose with tulle plus some gems to finish it off. This was the first time I'd tried using fabric in this way and was quite pleased with the result.

I hope you like the card, if you'd like to leave a comment that would be great.

Christmas bears

Hello,
my second card, again using up my stash.

This is a stepper card from a Kanban kit from a couple of years ago which came preprinted with foiled snowflakes, plus I added on extra snowflakes and a sentiment from the kit. The bears topper is just something I had lying around in my stash, but looks quite cute and will be ideal for some friends who are bear mad. As a finishing touch I added some gems to the centres of the snowflakes.

Thanks for stopping by, any comments are gratefully received.

I'm entering this for the following challenges:
The Glory of Christmas: Feature a Creature
My Time to Craft Challenge Blog: Christmas in July
Pile it On: Christmas/Winter in July
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra: Anything goes

Butterfly tied Z-fold card

Hello,
this is the last of the three cards I made for one of the units in the Certificate in Paper Craft I'm studying. It was inspired by a feature in Quick Cards Made Easy magazine - and has even been featured in the letters page of issue 139!

I used a white 8 x 8 card blank scored down the middle and folded back. I matted the folded back front and the inside with silver mirri then cut some some lilac card with a subtle lilac floral pattern on it from a Kanban kit to matt on to the silver. The focal point on the front is an Imagination Crafts butterfly stamped in purple onto white, matted onto Hobbycraft periwinkle pearlescent card, then onto silver and finally onto white. Inside I stamped the same image in pale lilac and added a Tonic Birthday Wishes die cut sentiment on it, plus a Craftwork Cards sentiment in the bottom corner. I even found some lilac organza ribbon with butterflies embossed on it to tie the card to finish it off.

I'd not made anything like this before so was really pleased with the result, I hope you like it too.

Thanks for stopping by, as always any comments you might like to leave are gratefully received,

Apricot flowers

Hello,

this is the second of the three cards I made for my second Unit of the Certificate in Paper Craft.

I used a Kanban kit I've had for ages called Apricot Dreams. I started with an 8 x 8 pale gold card blank which I matted and layered with apricot floral backing card on gold mirri. I created a panel from floral patterned vellum fixed to the pale gold card with gold brads which I placed towards the left side of the card. I created 3 quilled apricot flowers, first time I'd done this and I was quite pleased with the result, and attached them to the bottom right with some Tattered Lace die cut flourishes. Top right I attached a Tonic Happy Birthday sentiment with a gold brad in the middle of the flower.

Because of the quilled flowers I needed a box for this card too and created it from the pale gold card and the same kit but used the left over backing card from the card as the panel, and card which matched the vellum as the main backing card. I finished it with a Hunkydory sentiment which matched the colours.

Thanks for stopping by, any comments are gratefully received.

Black and white butterflies and birds

Hello there, for this card I used a Kanban topper I've had lying around for ages, created a mat from silver mirri and white card embossed with a Cuttlebug All in One folder. I put it on an 8 x 8 card, added black and white die cut butterflies and finished it off with a bow and some silver gems on the butterflies. I'm quite pleased with how it's come out and hope it's not too stark!

I'm entering this for the following challenges:

Try it on Tuesday: They who have wings
Crafty Cardmakers and More: Wings
Papertake Weekly Challenge: ATG
Clear It Out: ATG
Scribble and Scrap: ATG

Dotty birthday card

Hello there, this is my first entry into challenges so it's fingers crossed that I get it right :-) !

I started with a 7x7 black card blank folded tent style, on to that I matted and layered white card, then black and white polka dot card. I took a piece of square red card and matted and layered that onto black card before embossing it using the Tattered Lace Ditzy Dots embossing folder. I'd found and a few dotty tag toppers in my black and white stash so attached a big and small one with a black brad and stuck that on to the the red square, I decided to put the topper on in a diamond shape as the size of the topper matched a row of dots - more by luck than judgement - using foam pads. I then used a Tattered Lace die to cut  a double layered flower from the red and black card, secured it with a red brad and attached it to the bottom right corner. I finished the whole thing off with a black and white dotted bow using some ribbon I bought ages ago.

I think this will go to my niece for her birthday, hope she doesn't see it here first and spoil the surprise!

I'm entering it into the following challenges:

Clear it out challenge: Theme: birthday and Stash: Polka Dots
Just US Girls challenge: black, white and ... another colour

Thanks for stopping by, any comments greatly received.

Stamping and colouring

Hi there, this is a card I made for my father-in-law's birthday - men are hard to make for so I was at a bit of a loss what to do but my crafty friend came up with this as an idea. It's an 8x8 cream card blank scored and folded down the middle. I used a Kanban Crafts stamped image overlapping the inside of the card, layered onto an autumn leaves paper from a Debbi Moore CD and then a layer of copper mirror card. I used a Card-io Majestix stamp to add a border of little leaves  around the edge. Inside I matted a print of the autumn leaves onto copper mirror card and fixed 3 gold skeleton leaves in the centre. Quite pleased with it in the end, hope you like it too.

Thanks for stopping by, any comments welcome.