More masking tape and a post-it note

 

 

Hello! Here is another card made using masking tape to create an inked background. The stamp set is SU's Seaside Notions - I just couldn't resist that seahorse!

The colour scheme is inspired by this week's Global Design Project

I'm also sending this seahorse along to Di, Dudley & Parsnip at Pixie's Snippets Playground. The Real Red card was one of a small pile of snippets that took some serious searching for. For some unknown reason I seem to have no red card at all!

Happy crafting! April xx

Pocket Cards

 

 

Hello! I haven't done a lot of card-making lately. I have been jewellery making and going to weekly pottery classes. So far I have made a bowl and a quail who looks like a potato. He started off life as a pigeon but progressively got fatter and looked more strange as I went on. I have other 'bird potatoes' on the go too. They are found on the shelf and people say,  'Oh it's just one of April's bird potatoes!' Hopefully I will soon have a finished one to show you here!!

 

My pocket card was inspired by the colour scheme over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

 

 



 

When I was on the Design Team of this lovely challenge blog, I must confess that combinations involving yellow and orange used to make me gulp a bit! However, now I feel strangely drawn to them as a festive combo, so here is the result! I have used Merry Patterns, a SU stamp set from last year with Daffodil Delight, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie and Real Red.

 

I found the card design here. It is a great way of using up snippets, so I made another one  -

two cards in one day!!

 

 



 

 

I have been AWOL from the Playground for far too long!! Sending Di and Parsnip a big hug at Pixie's Snippets Playground.

 

Happy crafting! April x

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

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!

 

 





 





Product List

Watercolor Christmas Project Kit

[144649]

Tabs For Everything Photopolymer Bundle

[145364]

Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

[145372]

Layering Squares Framelits Dies

[141708]

Watercolor Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[144838]

Acetate Card Boxes (C6)

[145486]

Emerald Envy A4 Cardstock

[141420]

Basic Black Baker's Twine

[134576]

Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad

[140932]

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

Liquid Multipurpose Glue

[110755]

Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

[126949]

Tag Topper Scalloped Punch

[133324]

Envelope Punch Board

[133774]

Stampin' Trimmer

[129722]

Dragonflies

Hello! This card is a kind of tribute to the really huge dragonfly that seems to have taken a liking to our drive at the moment. He follows you round like a small aircraft and it's slightly off-putting as he makes a bee-line for your head! I looked him up on a dragonfly identification website and he's a southern hawker apparently.

This card uses the lovely Wood Words stamp set for the background and sentiment. I really love this stamp set and have used it for all kind of cards recently. The colour scheme here was inspired by the challenge over at Sunday Stamps. Such a pretty combo of colours!

 

 

The design of my card was inspired by this week's Global Design Project where it's a 'Case the Designer' challenge.

 

 

I love this type of challenge because I tend to start off with one idea in my head and it often becomes something completely different as I go along!

 

I'm also sending my dragonfly along to see Di and Parsnip at Pixie's Snippets Playground because I've been AWOL lately. I know if there's anyone who would appreciate being dive-bombed by a large dragonfly, it's Parsnip!



Santa's Sleigh

Hello! Here's another Christmas card made with the lovely Santa's Sleigh bundle. I used copper foil for the sleigh which I love, combined with a snippet of Real Red. I like the little teddy poking up out of the presents. Looks like he could easily take the reins! A short blog post today as I am annoyingly full of a cold - one of those colds that quickly appears with no warning! Not great for card-making.

I'm sending the cousin of Parsnip off to Di at Pixie's Snippets Playground where they can get up to festive mischief!

Happy crafting! April x

Father Christmas Earrings

Hello! I'd seen a few of these little guys around and fancied some for my ears too. These are the second attempt after a rather smudgy start. You do need to be patient with your colouring or you risk ending up with a Father Christmas who looks as though he has injured himself on a chimney...

I started off by stamping on the frosted side of a piece of frosted shrink plastic with black Stazon. If you stamp on the shiny side your stamp tends to slip (or it does if you are me!) Twenty attempts later I had a couple of efforts I was happy with. I used the punch from the Cookie Cutter Christmas bundle  to cut the figures out, not forgetting to make a hole at the top for a jump ring with my Cropadile and then coloured them with Copics.



After attacking them with my heat gun and then leaving them to cool I attached them to a jump ring and fish hook earring findings. All ready for my ears at Christmas! The earring box and card were all made from snippets of Real Red cardstock and Candy Cane Lane designer series paper.

I am sending my little festive assortment off to Di and Parsnip at Pixie's Snippets Playground.

Happy crafting! April x





52 CCT Technique Challenge

 

 

Hello! Our technique challenge over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week is all about embossing - either heat or dry embossing. I have done a bit of both!

 

 

 

The Christmas tree in a jar (from Jar of Cheer) has been heat-embossed with SU's Emerald Envy Glitter embossing powder which is super sparkly. I have also embossed a piece of copper foil with the Softly Falling embossing folder (it kind of reminds me of a fire place).

 

I have also been asking myself the question - is that a tiny Christmas tree or a huge jar? I asked my friend Clare the same question when she made a lovely card with a stegosaurus eating treats out of a jar. A tiny dinosaur the size of a jam jar would be very cute indeed!

 

 

Please have a look at the rest of the DT's embossed creations. We look forward to seeing your Christmas cards. Happy crafting! April x

52CCT Sketch Challenge

 

 

Hello! It's amazing to think that October is already upon us! We have a sketch challenge over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, but also a DT call which is very exciting. Here is Kaja's sketch:

 

 

 

 

You don't need to include a snowflake, but I hope I have made a nod to the sketch by echoing the points of the snowflake in my reindeer antlers, ears and candy canes! :-) Then I wondered if it looked like a skull and crossbones?! Anyway I do love this super cute little guy who is made using the fabulous SU Cookie Cutter Christmas bundle. He was coloured with Copics and although it doesn't show up, he does have a glittery red nose!

 

 

 

I do hope you will feel inspired by the DT's cards to have a go at our challenge! Happy crafting, April x



52 CCT Stash Challenge

 

 

Hello! This week we have a stash challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. Our hostess Fabiola would like you to use punches or/and dies in the creation of your Christmas or winter themed card.

 

 



 



I was super lucky to get my paws on this Foxy Friends stamp set and co-ordinating punch that will be available to order from the new annual Stampin' Up catalogue that launches on the 1st June(exciting!!) I have combined a Real Red card with the new In-colours Emerald Envy (very Christmassy) and Peekaboo Peach.

I hope you will dig out those Christmas dies and punches. We are looking forward to seeing your creations!

52 CCT Stash Challenge

Here is my DT card for this week's challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown where we are using up some of our stash!

 



 I have used an antique brad, combined with a Mint Macaron, Real Red and Smoky Slate colour combo. The stamped background uses a holly sprig from Tim Holtz's Christmas Memories and the sentiment is from SU's Oh What Fun.

We are looking forward to seeing your use of metal embellishments! Hope you will join us, April x

Botanical Blooms

 

Here is my first card made with SU's Botanical Blooms framelits. I love all the leafy, flowery bits you get to mess around with! I made this card with a piece of Go Wild dsp, then cut the flowers from Blushing Bride and Real Red cardstock. There's some Blushing Bride glimmer paper there too. Some of the leaves and the card base are Smoky Slate and I used a piece of vellum - hence the slight wrinkly appearance in places! Lots of fun to make.

 

Sending these exotic blooms over to Di and Parsnip at Pixie's Snippets Playground and Crafting by Designs - anything goes. Happy crafting! April x

52 CCT Pick Any Previous Challenge

 

I hope that you can join us for our final challenge of the year over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. We are celebrating December with a...

 

 

 

You are very welcome to choose any previous challenge from our 2015 archives. My card is inspired by a colour challenge from August 2015 (red and green).

  



My card was stamped using SU's Cozy Christmas and I have chosen Real Red and Mossy Meadow for my colours, along with some glittery gold ribbon and sequins. I hope you like it!

 

A mad dash through the gates at Pixie's Snippets Playground!

 

Festive best wishes, April x

 

52 CCT Colour Challenge

At 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week, we have a colour challenge for you.

 

 

 Now this was quite challenging for me, as I realised lots of my stamps have twiggy green branches, holly leaves etc., so I decided to make a card with this lovely sentiment from SU's Cozy Christmas. I have opted for Real Red combined with Lost Lagoon.

 

This is a simple and quick card this week because I am (whisper it very quietly) going for a run with a friend. I have suggested to her she may want to bring oxygen on a trolley and attach a barrel of brandy to her dog's collar...

 

I do hope that you will join us in our colour challenge, hosted by the lovely Fabiola.

 

Have a lovely weekend, April x

 





Red, White and Blue

I always need thank you cards at this time of year and I always leave it to the last minute! May I just say that the grungy little speckles are part of the patterned paper - it's not where one of the cats has walked over it (although that does happen regularly). I love this retired SU stamp - Today and Everyday. I've coloured the Russian dolls with blender pens and added some Real Red ribbon and pearls. I hope you like it! April x

I'd like to enter my card in Pixie's Snippets Playground and Cards in Envy - Red, white and blue.