Week 17 cards

Here are the cards from this week.

Jackie

Brenda

Chris S

Lorna S

Pat P

Wendy S

Shirley

Weekly stash challenge - week 13

Well, another week has passed and we are up to week 13!

Here is the sketch for this week.

As a change, I thought I would ring the changes and instead of a tic tac toe to go with the sketch, I would offer you the chance to try out the clean and simple style (CAS).  So what is clean and simple, I hear you ask?

CAS = "Clean & Simple"

One main image
Lots of open space
Limited layers and embellishments
Quick & easy to create
And keep it simple.

Have fun ♥

                                                                   
This is just an option - you don't have to do it, but I thought some of you might like the style and others might like to challenge yourselves and go out of that comfort zone....

I have done two cards as a sample this week, to demonstrate both options, both following the sketch.

Card 1

 This card was made using the papers from my stash I have used in the past few weeks, and I fussy cut around the wreath shape.  The sentiment banner was cut down from one of the die cut sentiments, and I finished with a red and white butchers twine bow.

Card 2 (CAS)

This card was made using a 5x7 card blank, over which I put a wash of spectrum noir sparkle ink.  Onto this I stamped the sentiment, and the floral border, which I coloured with water colour paint.  Finally, I added a touch of bling in the form of gems in the centre of the flowers - one CAS card!

I hope you enjoy this week's challenge - and remember, it is fun!  So don't feel obligated to do anything that doesn't "spark joy" (TM Marie Kondo!) and if CAS isn't your thing - just do what makes you happy.  

Stay safe - we are almost out of the woods now - and Happy Crafting!

Weekly Stash Challenge - week 12

Three Months!  We have hit the milestone... yes, it is week 12, and the challenge is still going strong.  Here is the sketch and tic tac toe for this week.

 The sketch:

the Tic Tac Toe:

So, this is my card.  This one was pretty much all from my die cuts box - bits and pieces cut, or made up and not used.

This time I used an A5 card base, and onto this I matted some red with gold stars paper to form the border when I layered onto it some blue snowflake paper.

I used 2 large die cut snowflakes for my base toppers, and I used glitter glue to give them some sparkle.

Onto the top I put a shaker snowglobe, which I decorated with gold and silver gems.

Finally, I put the sentiment in the bottom left hand corner.

My tic tac toe line was the diagonal - gold, glitter, silver.

I also found a helpful tip today.  When I wanted to cut the paper for the backing, I was too lazy to go upstairs to get my guillotine.  So, as all my sewing things were already out,  I used an old blade in a rotary cutter and a quilting ruler to get the size I wanted.  Revelation!  It was so easy to get the exact size paper I wanted to use because I could line it up under the ruler!  I may just invest in another one for my papercrafting bag....

I look forward to seeing everyone's makes - stay safe, and happy crafting!

Week 11 cards

Here are the cards made this week:

Jackie

Brenda

Janet

Chris S

Lorna S

Pat P

Shirley H

Wendy S

Weekly Stash Challenge - week 10

Wow, we are in double figures... week 10 is here.  I have included another tic tac toe this week, to give you some extra inspiration, if you need it.

And on with the next sketch - Week 10.

The tic tac toe...

I decided to make another Christmas card this week - every little helps, and it will be here before we know it, LOL.

Every time I go to a Create and Craft show I always buy a goody bag.  Sometimes the items are good, once, not so much.  All of the items get stashed away, however, and I found this Christmas kit from one of those bags in one of my drawers, so thought I would use it.  There are backing papers (50) sentiment sheets and a big pile of decoupage die cuts.  

This is the card I made.

I did the top line of the tic tac toe - ribbon (paper ribbon across front), shaped card (scalloped card base) and decoupage (the christmas stocking).

Everything on my card came from the kit.  I cut some base paper from one sheet, the triangular corner from another, and the paper ribbon was the top part of another, mounted onto plain white card before being stuck onto the card.

I cut a tag using a tattered lace die, and cut by eye a layer for it from my base paper.  From the die cut decoupage, I made up the Christmas Stocking, and stuck it onto my tag.  When I put the tag into the pocket made by the triangular paper, it didn't fit very well with the decoupage, so I loosened the foam pad on one of the layers, so I could push it partly over the top of the pocket when the rest was pushed inside.  It worked well...

Lastly, I stuck one of the sentiments onto white card and then stuck that onto the bottom left hand corner.

Two cards done for Christmas - only about another 50 or 60 to go...

Happy Crafting!

Weekly stash challenge - week 7

Well here we are at week 7.  I thought 2019 went by quickly, but 2020 is going even faster.  Halfway through May, already, and no real sign of restrictions easing to let us all get together again.  I do hope that these weekly challenges are being helpful to you!

For this week, I thought we could try for some extra embellishments, so I have included flowers and a bow!

This week, I went to a paper boutique pad - farmyard friend.  I added some flower stamps and dies, some background mat dies, and a couple of distress ink pads. 

And this was the card I came up with.

I used a 5 x7  card base because that was to hand - the sketch was square, but the whole point is to use it as inspiration, not a fixed rule, so I went with it -  and from the paper kit, I chose a piece of patterned paper, a topper and a sentiment.  

I matted the patterned paper onto a piece of white card.  I then cut a die cut base from another piece of the paper using my dies, and layered the topper onto that.  I then stuck that onto my piece ofwhite card too.

Using the remaining parts of the paper, I die cut the flowers and leaves, and then stamped onto them using the distress ink.   I edged the petals with the ink, and then put the flowers together and stuck them onto my white card, and put a pearl from my stash in the centre of each.

I then stuck the white card onto my base card using foam pads.

I stuck the sentiment onto some backing paper, and put it on the base card, then stuck on my bow using a hot glue gun.  Lastly, I picked a couple of die cuts from my box, and put them in the top right corner to balance the card out.

I hope you enjoy this week's challenge as much as I did... I am looking forward to seeing the next lot of cards, and can't wait until we can meet up and work together again.

Have fun - happy crafting and stay safe.  We can make it!

Weekly Stash Challenge - Week 6

How can it be 6 weeks already?  Time is flying in lockdown for me - and the summer is rapidly approaching.  Shame by the time I roll out of my house I will just want to cover up!!!!

Anyway, time for another sketch - here is week 6!

I went back to my box of die cuts and another box set for my card this week. 

And here is my card - a simple mat and layer of the papers, and judicious use of some hearts from my diecut stash.

The free papers in the set were all rainbow colours, so I made a thank you card - all set to go to an NHS hero.

Along with the backing papers, there were some stamps and dies, but also an embossing folder, and I used that on the orange layer, and the base heart.  Then, I used a stamp from my stash to make the sentiment, and stamped it onto the top heart, which was plain white cardstock.

The last step was to add 3 punched small flowers, and I added a small gold gem in the centre of each.

Have fun this week everyone - I look forward to seeing your cards very much.  And remember, this time WILL end, and we will be getting back to normal.  I can't wait to see everyone again!

Week 5 cards

Wow, lots of beautiful cards this week!!

Here they are:

Jackie

Brenda

Chris S

 Chris S

Janet

 Lorna S

  Lorna S

  Lorna S

 Pat P

 Shirley H

 Wendy S

Weekly Stash Challenge - week 5

Hello everyone - time for week 5 of our weekly challenge.  I hope you are all feeling inspired and creative.  On to the sketch!

Sketch week 5

As I have said before, these sketches are for your inspiration - if you hate portrait, make it landscape.  If you hate squares, make them shapes.  It is your card - and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

For my card this week, I picked some items from my stash.  I had a boxed set (I've had it for ages, and shamefully, it wasn't even opened!) and the latest Creative Stamping magazine and some random dies (that in the end I didn't use).

Both the cards I made this week were 7 x 5, mainly because they were the blanks I had easily to hand.

The first was made using the box set.  It came with papers included, so I chose the colours I liked and cut them to fit as a mat and layer.     I picked a toning paper to stamp the flower onto, which I did with gathered twigs distress oxide.  I cut them down to fit the squares, and layered them onto the top.      To finish the card, I used some ribbon to make a bow, and stamped the sentiment onto a die cut from my stash box, which I had edged with the same distress ink.

My second card was made using the Creative Stamping magazine stamps.    This had come with a

stencil, so I first used it to make the background on the 7 x 5 card blank with the help of some distress inks.  I distressed the edge very lightly with frayed burlap distress ink.     Then I added the ribbon across the bottom third of the card.   There are lots of iconic stamps in the set this time, and I had great fun stamping and colouring them, before fussy cutting them out.  Lastly, I stamped the sentiment onto a heart shape from my stash, and stuck it in the centre. 

The card looked a bit empty and unfinished round the edge, so I added some faux stitching in blue.

All done!  2 very different cards, but the same sketch.  I am looking forward to see all the cards you make - enjoy, and Happy Crafting!