Sympathy cards...

 Good evening, crafty friends, from a hot and sticky North Wales! It was hubby's birthday over the weekend, so we decided to take a much needed break and get away from it all for the weekend. We had a lovely time in North Yorkshire staying in a little cottage at Old Byland, visiting family and exploring the surrounding area - hence the lack of crafting!

I have been enjoying my crafty time recently and find that it is back to being something I do to switch off and unwind, which is nice...

I am determined to try and use my crafty stash more (as I have a LOT of dies especially) - so today's make uses an old XCut cross die and an embossing folder that is literally being held together with a piece of Duck tape it's that old!...

 I very rarely make sympathy cards, but sadly they're one that often people ask for and I thought that this pretty filigree cross would pair perfectly with the arch die from Spellbinders Fall Label Motifs.

I inked the embossing folder with Antique Linen Distress Ink before passing through my Big Shot to get the delicate effect and inked the edges with black ink. I also inked the grey mat for the arch die cut with black to allow the cross to stand out more, which was also mat in the grey cardstock by drawing around the die and fussy cutting. I inked and splattered some green card to get the variation on the leaves and inked the centre of the large flowers with Chipped Sapphire. I kept everything quite muted and simple, adding in some photo corners and some pearls, along with a black sentiment strip..

 I liked the way this one turned out so much that I created another one with a Welsh sentiment too! I may even sell some of my handmade cards one of these days, maybe once the Chr...Chris...no, I can't bring myself to say it, craft fair season starts...

Dies used -

 XCut Mini Die - Cross

Spellbinders Fall Label Motifs

Embossalicious Floral Frenzy Embossing folder

Sweet Dixie Delicate Blossoms

Sweet Dixie Christmas Rose by Sue Dix

Thanks for popping by to see me and I hope that you're all coping in this heat (if you have it)!

Crafty hugs,

 

Happy Bear-thday...

 Good morning, crafty friends! I'm back to share my final background make using the ever so sweet bear from Sizzix Forest Animals...

 I use the leaf background that I created, but felt it needed a little more contrast so swept over the panel with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and inked the edges with Black. I inked a cloud panel for behind the bear, mat onto woodgrain paper and then a dark brown cardstock. I stamped the happy sentiment, then inked up the birthday, removing the ink from all but the letters that I wanted and hand drew the hyphen with a black liner. I cut out the letters 'BEAR' in brown cardstock and then assembled everything onto a black card base. I added a couple of tabs with small hearts and some gold flat backed pearls...

Dies used -

Sizzix Forest Animals 666241

Sizzix Hand Drawn Alphabet 665182

  Thanks for dropping by and I hope you've enjoyed seeing my embossed background makes...

 Crafty hugs,

 

Cockatoo...

 Hey there, crafty buddies! Today's make features the ever so sweet Cockatoo from Spellbinders Flying High set and the second yellow background from  my making session...

 I have been inspired by the lovely Denise from Crafty Den to try and use yellow more in my carfting, as it's a colour I always admire on other people's creations but just don't naturally reach for myself...and I don't know why, as I tend to love the results!...

I made up the pretty bird to look like a 'traditional' cockatoo and sat him on a postage stamp die inked with Broken China Distress Oxide. I decided to be bold and use a black card blank and then found some scrap paper in my stash to  use for the strips. I used the foliage from the bird die set, but changed it up with some flowers that I previously made and a sentiment stamp which came in a magazine set that was just perfect for the card...

I do love the way this card turned out, it's so bright and cheery and not a bit of pink in sight!

Dies used - 

Darice Chevron embossing folder

Spellbinders Flying High S4-1407 

Thanks again for coming along to have a look at my crafty makes, it really is appreciated and I hope I can inspire you in some way...

Crafty hugs,

 

Busy bees...

 I'm back again with another of my background makes and this one uses the yellow chevron, acrylic paint background that I shared in my last post...

 I cut my background into strips and added 3 panels to the front of my 5x7 card blank. I added a strip of dusty blue across the centre and then snipped away the bee from the main focal die, leaving the honeycomb and flower border, which I inked with Distress Oxides and small blending brushes. I mat this onto gold pearl paper and attached to the centre of my card.

I cut two of the bees, cutting the wings off one so that I could ink the bodies with Wild Honey and black ink, then layered on top. I splattered my card with Broken China Distress and some white acrylic, then added the sentiment plus some shaped blossoms for a touch of dimension...

Dies used - 

 Darice Chevron embossing folder

Sizzix Honeybee #662545

Paper Discovery Bountiful Leaves

Sweet Dixie Delicate Blossoms

Gemini Enjoy your Special Day

Thanks for popping in to my little crafty corner of Blogland and I'll be back tomorrow with another background make...

Crafty hugs,

 

Playing with backgrounds...

 Hello there, crafty friends! I had some time to sit and play at my crafty desk yesterday, after work and decided to have a go at some background techniques...

 I wanted to try the blackout technique but with different folders and colours and inspired by the lovely Denise's make, picked out a colour that I don't use enough - yellow...

The first one was the cog background and because there was a clock element on it, I couldn't use the debossed side (as the numbers would have been reversed), so inked the background between the cogs with Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo Distress Inks, with a touch of Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide, in order to try and get an old metal look. I then swiped over the top with Versafine Black Onyx and splattered with some duck egg blue acrylic paint....

Secondly, I tried inking a piece of white cardstock with Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed Distress inks, embossing with a chevron folder and then brayering white acrylic over the top. I found that the paint picked up some of the ink, so this was more of a tonal look. ..

The third is inking the embossing folder technique (inking the deboss side of the folder), which creates more of a contrast in colour with the white emboss...

And fourthly, I embossed a leaf background design, inked the debossed side with Cracked Pistachio and Peeled paint Distress inks, then swiped over the top with a brown pigment ink pad....

I don't normally sit and make backgrounds, often plumping for patterned paper for speed and ease, but thoroughly enjoyed the process and will try to  make an effort to sit and create more....I even went on to make cards with them all, the first of which I'm sharing here today...

 To the original background I added some antique gold generic cog die cuts and the speedometer from Spellbinders mat onto a circle of the same antique gold. The finger of the 'clock' is on a brad, so that the age can be set for the recipient and I added a couple of sentiments from my stash, finishing with some gold flat back pearls.

I really liked the way this one turned out and will probably use it as hubby's birthday card next week, as they're all car nuts in our house!

Dies used -

 Cuttlebug 5x7 Clockworks embossing folder

Spellbinders Speedometer die S5-689 

Thanks for dropping by and I'll be back to share the other makes with you over the next few days...

Crafty hugs,

 

Blackout technique...

 Hey there, crafty buddies! Today's make is so far out of my comfort zone that I might as well be on another continent!! I have seen and wanted to try the blackout embossing technique for a while, so as I had an hour to play at my crafty desk, I decided to have a go...

 ...I'm not sure if the results turned out a little psychedelic or whether it's just me shying away from the bright and bold?! I struggled to find a folder that would compliment the technique and plumped for this Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy one in the hopes that it would turn out okay...

I splattered the background with some white acrylic, then added some pretty butterfly dies in white with an inked background and my favourite Yana Smakula sentiment die.

Dies used - 

 Sizzix Detailed Butterflies 661802

Spellbinders Yana's Layered Script Sentiments S5-496

Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy embossing folder 

The jury's out on this card, but I'll definitely be trying this technique again and am even wondering if it would work with white acrylic on a brayer to get a softer look and ease me back into my pastel comfort zone! 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope to see you soon with some more crafty inspiration...

Crafty hugs,

 

A little busy...

 Good afternoon, dear crafty friends! I tidied my craft room! Now, this normally means that I don't make anything for a while as I don't want to mess it up, but to break with tradition, I thought I would sit at my new crafty table and play with another couple of dies that haven't even been cut yet! (Bad crafter!)...

I started with the Sizzix embroidery hoop die and layered up some pretty papers on my background. Whilst looking through my ever increasing stash of dies, I came across this pretty birdcage set and cut one of the cages out in antique gold card - these dies are REALLY delicate, so I cut another in kraft card and layered them up for extra rigidity. I played around with different elements until I was happy with the composition, then splattered everything with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and some white acrylic...

I added in some pops of blue as the colour tones were getting a little...meh...and although the overall effect is a little on the busy side, it turned out pretty enough!

Dies used -

 Sizzix Tim Holtz Wildflower Stems #1 664163

 Sizzix Embroidery 664396

Sizzix Birdcages 665036

Flower centre from Sizzix Floral Cluster 666118

Hearts from Sizzix Tea Cups 665898 

Generic postage stamp die 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you find inspiration in my (surprise, surprise!) pretty, pastel make...

Crafty hugs,

 

Say cheese!...

 Well, it seems like I'm on a roll! I'm back today to share another collage style card but this time using the fun Spellbinders Say Cheese camera die. I love these layering dies from both Spellbinders and Sizzix as they give so much detail to your die cuts...

 I layered my card with some paper scraps, a doodled border, ink splatters and a generic photo strip die that I picked up from Amazon. I created a polaroid type picture using the letter die from Sizzix You've Got Mail to cut out the aperture and used the mountain from Hero Arts You Lift Me Up framecuts, along with the treescape die from Clearly Besotted. I added a bulldog clip die cut and some sprinkles and a couple of sentiments...

  I decided to do two cards at once and added Welsh sentiments to the second...

Dies used -

 Spellbinders Say Cheese S4-1383

Sizzix You've Got Mail 665820

Generic Film frame strip die and bulldog clip 

Thanks for dropping by and who knows, I may even be back soon with some more inspiration...or I could fall off the face of the earth and it could be months before posting again!

Crafty hugs,

 

Sky's the Limit...

 How about this? Back so soon?!...

Today's make uses the Sky's the Limit #2 die set from Sizzx and Catherine Pooler Designs...

I've have to admit that I've made these kites up a couple of times and not been sure of them...and am still not! I don't know if it's that the black is too heavy or what, but I'm just not feeling it! I wanted to try and make a more masculine card instead of the rainbow tones that I have seen on the internet but am not 100% how it turned out...oh, well, it'll go in the box!

Dies used - 

Sizzix Catherine Pooler Designs Sky's the Limit #2 666832

 Spellbinders On Cloud Nine S3-432

Spellbinders Happy Birthday Wishes S3-514

Spellbinders Fall Label Motifs S5-519 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you like my card more than I do!

Crafty hugs,

 

Ham it up...

 Hey there, crafty friends! How cute is this little piggy??!...

 This is Ham it Up from Spellbinders and I think he is just adorable! I created a collage style card with postage and countryside elements, and what would make me happier than a pig in mud?...clouds, of course!...

Dies used -

 Spellbinders Ham it Up SDS-199

Generic nesting postage stamp dies 

Hero Arts You Lift Me Up Frame cuts DI789

Also Marianne Designs Tab with Text die COL1315 & Creative Expressions Rustic Western Elemenets HCD721 (retired)

I think the tree landscape die is from Clearly Besotted, but can't find it's name

 

Thanks for popping in to have a look at my latest creation and I hope to be back soon with some more crafty inspiration...

 

Crafty hugs,

 

 

 

Spellbinders Pretty Birds...

 Hi again, crafty friends! I'm back to share another paper creation with you all...

 I treated myself to this Spellbinders Pretty Birds die set a couple of months ago and they have been sat patiently waiting to be used on a project, so I decided to cut them out and ink them up...

I have to say, I love the way these sweet birds came out, but am not 100% sure on the over all card...I liked it when it was finished, but then I always do the mantel piece test - I sit the card on the windowsill or sideboard and just look at it when I'm passing - I didn't know then if it was a little too sugary??! (That'll teach me for just using the first paper that came to hand as it was on my desk!) I'm going to make another one and try using a blue or yellow tone paper (something which I need to get more of) and see how I feel about it then, but in the words of Gina K, it's "better than horrible"...

Dies used :

 Sizzix Script Sentiments 665089

Spellbinders Pretty Birds S4-1406 

 Thanks for popping by to have a look at my sugary sweet card and I may be back soon with some more crafty inspiration...who knows?!...the sun is shining, so anything can happen! 

Crafty hugs,

 

Just a note...

Hey there, crafty friends! As it's my day off and hubby is off delivering, I decided to sit and play at my crafty desk and see what I could come up with...

 I started with the Sizzix Snail Mail by Eileen Hull postage die (I would have really liked the Waffle Flower version of this type of die but it wasn't in stock in the UK at the time and  I find the 'windows' of the panels on this one are a touch on the small size, but I persevered!)...

I added some some patterned paper panels to the postage collage die and randomly stamped with some postage style stamps from my stash. I then backed this onto cream paper with 2mm foam tape and matted onto a pretty ditsy floral paper. I cut out all of the elements and arranged how I thought I would like them before attaching to my card...

 Dies used :

Sizzix Snail Mail by Eileen Hull #665869

Spellbinders Happy Birthday Wishes #S3-514

Spellbinders Sealed Blooming Stems #S4-1296 

Sizzix You've Got mail #665820 

The just a note sentiment was computer generated and the Birthday part came from Wow! Happy sentiments.

Thanks for dropping by and I'll hopefully be back with some more craftiness soon,

 

Nature's bounty...

 Hey there, Blogger buddies! Crafting is pretty sporadic at the moment, as life has been pretty busy now I have 3 part time jobs! I'm hoping to have some crafty stuff to share soon, but for today, I thought I would share some positivity in the form of Mother nature's treasures...

I am blessed to live in a beautiful part of Wales, with the countryside literally on my doorstep and there is nothing more refreshing or humbling than going for a walk and actually looking at the wonders of this magical place...

There's an abundance of wild flowers from bluebells to wood anemone, dog violets and greater stitchwort, to name but a few...

 

 

There's food throughout the hedgerows from dandelions to make honey (although don't be too zealous with your picking as they're an essential food source for pollinators at this time of year)...

 

 

...wild garlic and garlic mustard (or Jack o'the hedge as I know it) which can be used in pesto and sauces...

 

...and even nettles (not for the faint hearted) and cleavers for tea...

 

It is amazing how Mother nature provides and there is also a glimpse of what is to come...

 

 

...bilberries (or winberries as they are known here), as well as alpine strawberries, wild raspberries, gooseberries and blackberries plus cob nuts later in the year...

 

 ...and of course, the crafter in me couldn't help but pocket a handful of alder cones for that thing that happens in December!

 

With all the noise that is going on in the world at the moment and with the pressures of rising bills and day to day stresses of life, it is good to put on your walking shoes, get out in nature and just be....even for a little while. Look around and see the wonders that nature has to offer - just remember to forage responsibly and if you're not sure...DON'T PICK IT and certainly DON'T EAT IT!  

 

Happy Spring,