Saturday 21 October 2017

CCT October Stash Challenge


Hello! We have a stash-busting challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown this week. We would like to see wood or canvas (or both!) on your Christmas cards.



For my card, I have used some wood dsp combined with a bit of real wood - some retired Autumnal wooden elements. I've also used some brushed gold card, Real Red and Tranquil Tide cardstock. The lovely sentiment and the pine needles are both from SU's Peace This Christmas.
Please check out the inspirational examples from the rest of the Design Team!
Happy crafting, April x

Wednesday 18 October 2017

Crazy Cat Collage

 
 
Hello! A quick way of using up snippets of left-over dsp. I just stuck a bunch of bits on a piece of cardstock and then die-cut a square from it. Then I plopped a cat on top using the SU Cat Punch. So simple! I think lots of random snippets will be getting this treatment, as I have a craft fair in November to prepare for!
 
Sending my snippety kitty to Di and Parsnip at Pixie's Snippets Playground!

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Eclipse Cat


Hello! Can you spot the cat hiding in the flowers? The Eclipse technique is everywhere at the moment, particularly cards that use words in a cool 3D way. It's a super easy way of using all your dies and punches in a new and very striking way.

Simply start with a stamped image (fairly dense designs like this flower patch from Wood Words work best). Then use your choice of die or punch to remove an area of the stamped design. Punch/die-cut about five other layers from another piece of cardstock and carefully adhere them behind the original shape you cut out.


This photo gives a better idea of the layers involved. An adhesive with a bit of 'wiggle room' is best because you need to ensure that all the layers are perfectly aligned. You then glue it back into the negative space that you first cut.  Some people like to emphasise the layering even more by colouring the edge with a black marker. Lots of scope for using that stash of punches and dies in a completely new way! I hope you enjoy your own eclipse card-making, April x


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Saturday 7 October 2017

CCT October Theme Challenge


Hello! It's time for the October Theme challenge with our lovely hostess Fabiola at Christmas Card Throwdown.

 
 
Lots of potential here for some amazing Christmas designs! I used an old favourite stamp set, SU's Warm Wishes for both the sledge and sentiment. It reminds we that we still have a sledge in the garage. Of course as soon as we bought it we never had proper sledging style snow again. Typical!
 
Happy crafting! April x

Wednesday 4 October 2017

Christmas Emergency Kit

 
 
Hello! This is my kit for Christmas emergencies of the postal variety. There's a profound irony in me coming up with this super organised kit, as it took me half the morning to find the acetate boxes I knew I'd ordered (I even went back to double-check I had actually ordered them!)
 
This kit is designed for general planning combined with that sudden realisation on the last day of posting that you have forgotten somebody...It contains a notebook planner, a gift receipt file, a sleeve to keep all your stamps safe and two emergency Christmas cards and gift tags - all kept together in an acetate box.
 
The really cool thing is that it's all made from bits found in Stampin' Up's Watercolor Christmas Project Kit. I only used an additional piece of Emerald Envy cardstock and some scraps of Whisper White that were hanging around. The kit is designed to make twenty cards, but I only used up two of the card blanks and one gold envelope liner to make my kit.
 
Here it all is fitted into the handy box...
 
 
The cute little planner is a plain notebook that I covered with card and the trees embellishment from the kit. The tabs for Christmas shopping lists and reminders were made using the Tabs for Everything stamp set and co-ordinating punch.
 
 
 
The file for gift receipts or other useful small pieces of paper is a card with one edge trimmed off and the inside covered with part of a gold envelope liner. The gift tags are made from 4 x 2 inch pieces of leftover card scraps.
 
 
The stamp sleeve (giving off a very radiant gold glow in this photo!) is just an envelope made from Emerald Envy with the Envelope Punch Board. I cut the top flap off and covered the front with a leftover piece of the envelope liner. The size of the envelope is the one for a 3.5 x 4 inch card. This is easily big enough to fit a number of stamp books in and saves you desperately scrabbling around for a stamp (if you are anything like me!)
 
 
I made two cards from the kit to add to the box. There are four lovely designs to choose from. Of course like a squirrel with his nuts, come Christmas time I may well have forgotten where I put this, but it was fun to make and hopefully demonstrates that you don't have to make twenty cards with SU kits!
 
 


 


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