Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #204 - Get Inky/Messy!!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  So pleased that you dropped by!

It's time for another Challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers and the Theme this time around is to get Inky or Messy!!  Chanya is our host and, as always, you may create whatever you like as long as it meets the current Theme.
You may be pleased to know that we no longer have a Challenge limit, so you can enter as many other Challenges as you like.

Well, as usual, I have created a card.  Actually, I created a number of cards or, I really should say, I created a number of backgrounds using Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals, but most of them were a total failure!   Just couldn't seem to get the process right.  I simply ended up with  these big blobs in the middle of my paper but, I am happy to  say, that I did manage to get a couple I liked, one of which I am sharing here.

This was, actually, the first background I did .. and didn't really like at first.  Wasn't sure what kind of card I wanted to make either so, I put it aside, and tried again, and again, and again .. four times again, as a matter of fact, LOL!!  Finally I made another one that I quite liked and did start making a card with that one but, even that, wasn't working out for me.  So, I went back to the first one and, all of a sudden, it just came together!  

When I had a closer look at it, I really did start to like the different shades in the background and, once I started to build up the card, I was liking it more and more.

At first, I wasn't sure what to use for the cluster but then I remembered a card made recently by Lisa of A Mermaid's Craft.  She used a Chloe Stem Die by Memory Box on her card and it looked gorgeous and I remember thinking that I have that die but have never used it.  So, I got it out and voila! .. I love it!!

The die below is the Garland Threads Die by Altenew which I purchased just recently from
Megs Garden.  I really love that too!!

I didn't even use any prills this time!  Didn't think they were needed.

Tried to capture the shimmer on this photo, but it is really difficult to pick up with a camera.

In the end, I am really happy with my summery, shimmery card and I also know just the person to give it to!  All good!

Would love for you to pop on over to take a peek at the lovely creations by my Teamies.  I am sure you will be inspired to join in with Challenge!  Would love to see what you create!!
To check it all out, and to link up your entry simply follow the link below.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #204 - Get Messy/Inky!!

Thank you so much for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!!
Take care and God Bless.
oxox Marg

My first post for 2018

Hello everyone and welcome!  

Sorry I haven't been here for a little while but I took a bit of a break over the holidays just to recharge the batteries, so to speak.  So, as this is my first post for 2018, I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope this year turns out to be your best one ever!!

It's taken me a while to get back into feeling creative again.  This card I am about to show you took ages to complete but, once I got a taste of crafting again, it just took off like a rocket and now I've got six of them waiting for a blog post!  LOL!!  It really was nice to get back into my craft room.
The papers used on this card are from a 6.5" x 6.5" paper pad by Kaisercraft  called Rose Avenue. A really pretty collection with pale blues and pinks  with a bit of green thrown in as well.

A few bits of pretty lace for interest and texture and I cut the top layer of paper with a Tim Holtz MM die.

I very rarely use such large flowers on my cards but I really love this one.  It's made by Little Birdie and I really love the almost grungy look of it.  A great contrast, I feel, to the delicate papers behind it.

There is a bit of gauze tucked in underneath the cluster and, of course, I had to add some prills and micro beads.

I do love those pretty papers and I also love the bottom layer peeking through the die cut.  Adds such a lot of interest I feel.

Before I go I would like to thank all of you for all the encouragement and support you gave me in 2017.  For all of the visits, and for all of the lovely comments I received, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I really do appreciate it all.  Thank You.

And, thank you also for your visit today.  I love that you came by to take a peek.
Take care and God Bless.

 

A Tartan Kind of Christmas

Hello my lovely visitors and welcome to my creative space.  

A very warm welcome too to my new followers!  Thank you so much joining me on this creative journey!  Hoping you will enjoy the ride!

A quick post to share another of my Christmas cards. 
No Masterboard this time .. just some papers and a bit of  die cutting.

The tartan paper is from a 6" x 6" Christmas paper pad I bought a little while ago by Craft Smith.  I used a Tim Holtz Thinlits die on the paper for the front of the card and, for something a little different, I outlined it with a white gel pen.

Another of my handmade flairs using a computer generated greeting and an epoxy sticker.

Used some of the scrappy bits left over from the die cut on the front of my card to decorate the inside.

 Et Voila!!

As I said, just a quick post this time.
 Have heaps more Christmas cards to make and will be posting another soon so, I hope you will come back to take another look.

I have entered this into Challenge #25 at Christmas Card Challenges
UPDATE .. My card made the top 3 .. Yayy!!!

Thank you for your visit and do enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care and God Bless.

A Masterboard Christmas

Hello sweet visitors and welcome to my blog.  Hope you are having a wonderful day!

A big welcome to my new followers too!!  Thank you so much for joining me.  I hope I can pass on a little inspiration now and then.

Today, I am sharing two more Christmas cards made with my Christmas Masterboard.  I really enjoy these Masterboards and am definitely going to do more of my cards this way.   It's a lot of fun  creating them and it saves using up my DP.  Although I still have so much of that I don't think I will ever get to use it up, LOL!!!

These two cards are almost identical so I thought I would share them together.

The poinsettias were made with a die from Poppy Crafts and the Pine Branch die is from Impression Obsession.

  The sentiment on Card 1 was printed, punched out and covered with an epoxy sticker ..

,, and on Card 2, I used a simple gold sticker.

Added a few prills and micro beads although I wasn't really happy with the result on card 1.  I think the colour is wrong but, once they are down, it's impossible to get them off again.

Was a bit happier with the result on card 2 .. but still, not quite what I wanted.
Should perhaps have used green.

Inside Card 1.

Inside Card 2.

Card 1 full frontal ..

.. and, Card 2.

Not quite sure about using the red cardstock base.  I think they may have looked better with a white base.  Still, I'm not unhappy with them so I guess they will do.

Have you started making your Christmas cards and decorations yet??  
Dare I say there are only about 8 weeks to go??  Scary isn't it??

Thank you for stopping by to take a look.  It's always so nice to have you visit and, whatever you are planning to do, make it a great day my friends.
Take care and God Bless.
Hugs xx

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #197 - Fancy Folds

Hello lovely visitors and welcome to my blog.  Hope you are having a wonderful day.

There's a new Challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers and I am happy to tell you that it's my turn to play Host!
The Theme is Fancy Folds and this particular Challenge is for cards only. 

I wasn't sure what type of card to make for this Challenge.  Thought about Step cards and Easel cards but they weren't really what I wanted to do.  Then I saw a card on Pinterest that piqued my interest .. an Upright Z Fold card .. I had never made one of these so I thought, 'That's what I'll do.  Something new and different.'    Well, for me anyway.

The papers are a mix of Maja and Kaisercraft.  I seem to be using them a lot lately but they do go so very well together.

I still had quite a bit of Autumn coloured bits and pieces on my work bench left over from the last Challenge (yep!!  afraid I haven't really been very particular about cleaning up my Craft room) so decided to use some of them.

The flowers are available at Megs Garden.  They were a creamy white and I altered them with sprays made from watered down acrylic paint.  I always make sure to wet the flowers with water first and then the colour soaks in really well.

The leaves were cut from Maja papers with a Cheery Lynn die.

Had to add some prills of course, with some micro beads mixed in, and I also added some gesso highlights to the flowers and leaves along with a few splats on the base.

 This is another first for me.  The bit of 'lace' was made with a mould and Acrylic Gap Filler.  It is a little fiddly but quite easy to do and looks pretty good, I reckon! 

When you start to open it right out, this card is fairly long ..

 .. and a bit difficult to photograph but I managed to get it in one shot.

 Easy to see how it stands up here.  I used a gem brad to anchor it.

It was fun to make and, although I probably won't use this style a lot, I might make some of my Christmas cards like this.

Update:  I have just found out that it was Berit Rosenfeldt who first created this fold.  Thank you Berit .. it is awesome!!   Unfortunately I cannot find a current blog of hers to link to but HERE is a video of the original cards.  I'm afraid it's in Danish but the cards are gorgeous!! 

Well, I hope I have given you some inspiration to try a new style of card and to join in with our Challenge!  For more inspo', pop on over to the Blog and take a look at the wonderful creations by my Teamies and then link up your entry.  Please read our rules and take note of the 15 Challenge limit.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #197 - Fancy Folds.

Thank you so much for your visit and for leaving me a little love .. I  really appreciate it.
Whatever you plan to do for the rest of your day, do it safe and do it happy!!

Take care and God Bless.
oxox   Marg

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #196 - Autumn

Hello sweet visitors and welcome to my blog.  Hope you are having a wonderful day.

There's a new Challenge starting over at Crafty Cardmakers!  For this Challenge, Kim is our host and the Theme is Autumn!!

As always, you may create anything you like, as long as it follows the Autumn Theme.
Please read our rules and take note of the 15 Challenge limit.

So, here  is the card I created for my DT contribution.
The papers used are from Maja and Kaisercraft.  I felt they were a really good match.

The leaves were cut with Tim Holz' Mini Tattered Leaves Die which I have had for ages but never got around to using.   I cut them from a light brown cardstock and then coloured them using sprays made from Distress Re-inkers.  I also added a few veins with a brown fine line pen.

Tucked some gauze under the cluster for some soft texture, added some berries and, of course, lots of prills.

The flowers were also coloured with sprays and I added a touch of gesso here and there.

More of the Maja papers inside.

Et Voila!!

Another fabulous Challenge from Crafty Cardmakers.

Take a look at the wonderful inspiration from the rest of the Team and, while you're there, why not join in the fun and link up your entry.  Simply click on the link below.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #196 - Autumn.

I am sharing this card with the Challenge at
Fussy and Fancy Friday #196 - Fall Colours

Thank you so much for your visit and for leaving me a little love, and,
whatever your plans are for the day, do it safe and do it happy!!!

Take care and God Bless.
oxox Marg