Happy Easter

 

It's been a minute, but I am still making cards. Here are two I made for Easter. Wish I had time for more.

I used the Spellbinders Betterpress Spring Bunnies press plate and dies. 

Have entered the Bunnies and Eggs challenge at If You Give a Crafter a Cookie.

Give It A Whirl

 

One of the best things about paercrafting is the ability to make a personalized card for a recipient. Today I made a fun interactive farewell card packed with meaning.

A dear colleague is moving from BC Canada to her childhood home in India to take care of ailing parents. It is such an amazing sacrifice. As I told her, we all talk about putting family first, but she is actually doing it!

The card I made has a map of BC on the front, and when you whirl the tab, a map of India is revealed. I made this using the Lawn Fawn Give It a Whirl Dies. 

You can see it in action here.

Here is the revealed map underneath:

The inside sentiment was appropriate:

 

 

Mini Books

 

Quite happy with a couple of mini books I made this weekend. While I used to make and swap them regularly, it has been maybe ten years since I made one! I recently purchased new stamps that make covers, spines and marbled end papers for mini books from Claire Brennan Design (former purveyor of Waltzingmouse Stamps). I am entering this in the Love to Craft Anything Goes challenge.

These books measure 2.25 X 3 inches. Claire also nicely provided instructions for making wee slipcovers to slide the books into! I used some wonderful scrapbook paper I have been hoarding from 49th and Market.

I decorated the inside in a sort of nature notes theme. I collaged bits of tissue and napkins and ephemera, and pulled out some vintage (both style and age!) rubber stamps from Oxford Impressions. 

I will add individual pages here. I have been following @katiepertiet for awhile on social media and her journal pages inspired this effort although she shows far more restraint with her mixed media!

Seize the Birthday: Embossed

 

Testing 1...2...3... - is this thing on? I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I posted on my blog. 2023 was a bit of a blur and crafting time was hit and miss. One challenge I always like to play in is Seize the Birthday as birthday cards are what I make the most.

This card features a dry embossed rattan background. The Lisa Horton tulips are also dry embossed and die cut. They are meant for a slimline card, but this is 5X7 inches.

Stitched Blooms Happy Birthday

 

Here's a card for a birthday that uses Spellbinders dies and a stencil (from the Let's Stamp Together subscription package) and a little stitching. Banner die also Spellbinders.

I used some Pearlescent stencil paste through the stencil to get a background with a bit of texture. Envelope embellished with a stencilled die cut.

I am entering this in Seize the Birthday #254 (Anything Goes).

Happy New Year Fireworks

 

Scrap 'n Stamp Challenge Facebook page lists a prompt for each day of the month. The prompt for January 2 is black. I knew right away what I wanted to do as I needed to make a Happy New Year's card to send off in the mail.

I created this 5 inch square card by stencilling a Pretty Pink Posh Fireworks stencil with DecoFoil Transfer Gel Duo on black cardstock. It took an hour to dry. Then I laid Gina K Designs Thermoweb Fancy Foils in Sparkling Silver on top of the tacky surface and ran it through my die cutting machine. I peeled away the plastic top layer and the shimmery foiled fireworks were adhered.

Foil is notoriously difficult to photograph and depending on how the light hits this, it can look all black and silver or a myriad of colours. I finished it with a stamped and die cut HAPPY from Taylored Expressions and New Year is an old Waltzingmouse stamp. If you want to play in the challenge details are below and you can post anywhere using #SNSCHALLENGE:

Happy New Year

 

I was blessed earlier this month to receive for my birthday a Tim Holtz Sizzix die set called candle light. (Thanks, Sis!) It has dies for a lantern and two candles.While it will make great Christmas cards in the future (no time this year!), I wanted to try a New Year's greeting with it. I was going for an icy blue feel, but warmed by the candles. 

The background is made with a 3D embossing folder that has Fa La La running down the middle. Here's what that normally looks like:

There's some gluing and layering to get the candles and lantern together, but it is not difficult as there are alignment guides embossed into the cardstock when they are die cut. I used yellow vellum for the halos of light.

Had so much fun I made two more in a lighter colour way.

I look forward to playing with this some more. I think some faux patina on the lantern would be fun to try. Turns out this is a much sought after die set (now discontinued) so I am very pleased to own it. Happy New Year to you and yours! I am entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge which is "Party Time" and my New Year's Eve party is a little quieter than most - just the way I like it!

And I was one of three featured designers in the Simon Says Stamp Blog for this challenge!

http://www.simonsaysstamp.com