Snowdrops

Good Morning everyone

Today Im honoured to say that I have been invited to join the very talented design team at Creative Artiste mixed media so for one project a month I will be playing with alot more mixed media which is always fun.  

So I thought to kick start I would make something very seasonal.  After Christmas when most of the garden is slumbering in sleep and lots of earth and brown on show these dainty little snowdrops pop up to brighten our day with their lovely white and green flowers.  For those of you who are new to my blog you will find that usefully my projects are full of colour so this is very muted for me but I wanted to go with a more realistic look and let the snowdrops be the star.

Approx size:  5x7" (13x18cm)    I started with a piece of stiff card cut from a cat food box.  See the last photo for how i did the background. 

Onto the base layer i added a layer of handmade paper which i tore into a rough oval shape - this i felt gave the effect of a soft frost.  I then tore a piece of brown packing paper - this i used so that the white of my snowdrops would stand out - all the torn edges giving a rustic natural feel.  I then added a piece of hessian ribbon. 

I die cut lots of snowdrops from white card and used green alcohol markers to colour the stems and add a hint of green to the flower head.  I added a little bit of 'crystal' stickles glitter glue to the little piece on the flower heads to add just a little frosty shimmer

Computer printed word 'beautiful', matted onto kraft card, glossy accents added to finish.

To hang i added white eyelets to the top and threaded with green cotton cord with 2 green glass beads.

I added the snowdrops with pinflair glue gel to give dimension.  To make them more realistic I cut the heads off some and glued back on the opposite way so that they aren't all facing the same way.  These snowdrop dies - the little bits in the middle fall out so that they have little gaps in them which i didn't want for this project so after die cutting them i added a little tape to the back to hold those pieces in place. 

The background/ base layer

I tore off some of the top layer to reveal the corrugations, added texture paste through a stencil.  Once paste was dry i added brusho powders in Olive and light brown which have tones of green, brown and purple in them so give a lovely dirt like colour.  I sprinkled on a little copper pixie powder, the mica giving a light shimmer. I used this criss cross effect stencil as i felt it had the effect of lots of dead stems and twigs in the garden like you get over winter. 

I then dry brushed on a thin layer of white chalk paint to soften it and give a frost like effect and edged the panel in white.

Items Used:

Snowdrop die by Alexandra Renke

Brusho Powders 'olive & light brown'

Cosmic shimmer pixie powder 'copper'

Green alcohol markers

Texture paste

Plaid 'folkart' matte paint 'antique white'

Stencil

Handmade paper, packaging paper & Hessian ribbon

Ranger stickles glitter glue 'crystal'

Ranger glossy accents

White eyelets, 2 green beads & cotton cord.

Do hop over to creative artiste mixed media to see what the rest of the DT have created and to join in.  You don't need to make a big mixed media project, it can just be a card or atc as long as you mix your medias.

Thank you for stopping by and i hope you all have a good weekend. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

 

https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/02/winter-season-february-2025.html

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https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2025/02/february-2025-challenge.html

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https://craftingacutabove.blogspot.com/2025/02/february-anything-goes.html - the snowdrops are dies

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https://theoutlawzchallenges-saturday.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-outlawz-anything-goes-in-card-free_02003369360.html

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https://daisychainchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/02/challenge-93-layer-it-up.html

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WLS Feb#1 - CAS

Good Morning everyone

Its the 1st Sunday of February so time for a new challenge over at 

We Love Stamping

The theme this month is CAS (Clean and Simple)

Or if thats not for you we always have the anything goes option as long as you use stamping

So CAS is not easy for me to do, a bit like OTT, Im more of the middle road kind of crafter😀  I suspect my design here is slightly over CAS but i did sit on my hands when they were itching to add a few tiny gems😁.....It is CAS for me!

A6 (6x4") Turquoise card base made using nesting dies.  I die cut a smaller die from white cardstock and stamped the hare towards the bottom right corner with ombre inkpad with shades of teal, turquoise & green.  I stamped the hare a 2nd time and cut out.  I took a smaller nested die and embossed into the white panel so it lined up nicely with the hare - just use a rubber mat to emboss the die without cutting.  I very lightly inked inside the die with the ombre ink pad to add a little frame.  I then stamped the words 'long eared mammal' & 'long-legged' that are in the stamp set along the edges of the frame.

I decoupaged the 2nd stamped hare with glue gel to add just a little dimension.

Here you can see the slight dimension the hare has, adding a little interest to an otherwise flat card.

Items Used

aall&create stamps #836 'Long eared mammal'

Kaleidacolor ombre inkpad 'Caribbean sea'

Turquoise card

CraftUk ltd hammered effect white card

Nesting dies

These lovely stamps from Lavinia are the prize these month for 2 lucky winners

So do hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and see what the rest of the design team came up with for our CAS theme

I hope you all have a good week & keep warm and safe. I think i was hibernating for most of January so now we are in February I must make an effort to do more!   Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/2025/01/crafty-catz-686-atg-blue-and-green.html

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https://theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com/2025/01/festive-friday-challenge-3-january-2025.html - used something blue and New stamp

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https://lilredwagon.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-792-is-for-anything-goes.html

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https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-609-include-stamped-image.html

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https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/02/challenge-91.html

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https://dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com/2025/02/february-challenge-cas-clean-and-simple.html

 

Jacks Birthday

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing the 2 cards I made for my brothers birthday

This brother absolutely is NOT a morning person, mum would always threaten to take him to school in his pyjamas as he just wouldn't get up in the mornings.....and yes she would have and he knew that so It did work.  When he was in the army his mates would actually have to tip him out of bed in the mornings.  Even at 42 he is just as bad and don't even attempt to talk to him before 10am!  So when i saw these fun aall&create stamps in the sales i knew they would be perfect for him....He is also a caffeine addict!

I made a little concertina card from kraft card, each section measures 5x3"

I stamped the images onto kraft card and then papers without too much pattern from my scrap box.  I cut out one whole character from kraft card, just his head from a 2nd kraft card and then his PJ's, mug & slipper from the papers and adhered together.

I found this fab sky background with has kind of rays coming down and covered in dots of silver holographic which was perfect for the background so i added to each panel.  I tore green paper for some ground for him to stand on - this from my scrap drawer.   I added the character in place.  Stamped the sentiment onto more kraft card and cut into a funky shape- felt that kind of matches the vibe this card was giving me😁

Showing the card opened out, i carried on the blue sky and green grass on each panel.  To the middle panel i added the 2nd character.  To the left panel i die cut the sentiment from kraft card into a scalloped circle, which i matted onto a sun die cut from yellow.  On the right panel i added a yellow die cut oval to write the greeting on........which my other brother thought was an egg😁

This 2nd character I also stamped onto kraft card and paper pieced his PJ top and cup.  This quote reads 'Ok, but coffee first'

This photo also shows the holographic dots on the background too, when the light hits them they really come to life, like raindrops.

Items Used:

aall&create stamps  #252 'coffee first' #253 'Morning'

spellbinders oval & inverted scallop circle dies

MFT sun die

CraftUK ltd kraft card

patterned papers from the works

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and card 2 

6x6" stepper card die cut from kraft card. 

Last year i was lucky to win a choice of 3 digistamps from 'The paper shelter' and i choose this digi called 'cockatoo rules'.  For this card i used the precoloured image and found a marbled paper in my stash that worked well for the background.  After matting the paper panels on to the card front I added the cockatoo which i had printed out twice, cut out and decoupaged so he has lots of dimension.  I added glossy accents to his sunglasses and bike light.

Birthday sentiment & 2 screw heads die cut from gold mirri card to finish.  I added the screw heads to the top of the side panels for a little embellishment.

Sorry for the rubbish photos, had to take them on a dark dank day!

Items Used:

'cockatoo rules' from the paper shelter

presscut stepper die

sizzix sentiment die

spellbinders screw head dies

Kraft card

Thank you all for stopping by and all your previous comments.  Big hugs Emmax

Id love to enter the bear card in the following:

https://lovethoseprettypapers.blogspot.com/2025/01/atg-using-pretty-patterned-paper.html

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https://snarkystampers.blogspot.com/2025/01/soss-258-n-is-for-nbus-never-been-used.html - never used the bear stamp sets before

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https://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/2025/01/crafty-catz-686-atg-blue-and-green.html

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https://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/01/mttc-552-theme-of-masculine-starts-24.html

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Lizzy is 11

Good Morning everyone

These are the 2 cards I made for my niece Lizzy's 11th birthday in December.

Last year i won 3 digi stamps from thepapershelter, one i chose with Lizzy in mind is called 'Jazzy ferret' 

His quirky style is ideal for Lizzy, I decided to use the pre coloured digi so found an old 6x6 paper pad in my stash that matched the purple & green colours perfectly so I decided to make a fancy fold to use as many papers as i could! I swear papers breed & multiply in the dark of the drawer! lol 

I printed the image out and cut out.  After folding my card i added papers to the front, matting onto a pinky lilac holographic card which really dances in the light. I die cut an oval from white, added to the front and added the ferret with a wobbler so that he dances around.  I added glossy accents to his sunglasses

Inside the card i matted more papers from the paper with the holographic card.  I stamped the birthday sentiment and die cut into a white circle and added to the left side with a fishtail banner behind.  I added a plain white die cut to the right side to write the greeting on. 

Showing different angles 

You can find details on how i made this fold here

Items Used:

Papershelter digi stamp 'jazzy ferret'

Bobunny paper pad 'Enchanted garden' (very old)

woodware sentiment stamp 

Pink holographic card

Spellbinders circle & oval dies

MFT fishtail banner dies

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and the 2nd card i made for Lizzy is with a dragon as she loves her dragons

I made a diamond pop out card from white and cut panels from a green, lilac & gold tone marbled paper, i added a die cut square to the front panel with foam tape.  I stamped the Katzelkraft dragon onto a piece of card inked long ago with green & orange brusho & pixie powders, I cut him out and added to the front with glue gel.

I die cut happy birthday alphas from a snippet of orange mirri card and added to the side panels.  I stamped and added 'you rock' next to the dragon to finish

Just showing from different angle.  I gave Lizzy this card as gave her a dragon themed gift so my parents gave her the ferret card. 

Items Used:

Katzelkraft stamps 'dragon'

Marbled paper pad from the works

Wonky stitched square die

Orange mirri card

Brusho powders 'emerald,lime & orange'

Cosmic shimmer Pixie powders 'red'

Thank you for stopping by once again. 

Id love to enter the ferret card into the following:

https://unicornchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-105-birthday.html

https://crafterscafeblogchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/01/315-january-anything-goes-optional.html

https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-90.html

https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-94-anything-goes-with.html

https://lovethoseprettypapers.blogspot.com/2025/01/atg-using-pretty-patterned-paper.html

 

WLS Jan#2 - Trio of mermaids

Good Morning everyone

Time for more inspiration for We Love Stamping where the theme this month is 

ANYTHING BUT SQUARE -  so any other shaped card 

or you can always use the anything goes theme as long as stamping is involved.

After all the Christmas and many Dec & Jan birthdays i craft for, I take time out to give my craft stash an annual tidy up ready to start the next crafty year.  I have a drawer where i put things left over from projects and that is where i found these mermaids, fish and die cuts so i decided I would use them all together.

Card size approx 7x4.5"  I took 2 of the white die cut shapes, scored a spine on one and adhered it to the back of the other one, thus making my shaped card base.  I then covered the front with sea themed patterned paper.  I die cut a smaller frame from white card and added to the front with foam tape.  I then arranged the mermaid and fish, adhered some flat and some with glue gel for dimension.  Sentiments stamped onto white, cut out and added.

The Mermaids and fish had all been previously stamped onto white and watercoloured with inktense pencils, cut out and glossy accents added to the eyes.  I then added a touch of diamond stickles here and there for a little sparkle.

This shows the dimension better and you can see how it stands up.

Version 2 made the same way

and Version 3

These images are such fun, a great way to brighten up a grey winters day

Items Used:

Funky Fossil stamps

Spellbinders grand labels 4 dies (very old!)

12x12 paper pad from the works

Derwent inkense pencils

Rangers stickles 'diamond'

Glossy accents

Do hop over to We Love Stamping to join in with your anything but square projects or you can just go with the anything goes theme, as long as stamping is involved. 

You could win these lovely prizes from aall&create if you join in.

Thank you all for stopping by once again. Emma

Id love to enter card #1 in the following

https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-608-all-things-bright-and.html

https://addictedtostamps-challenge.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-484.html

https://2sistersontheblog.blogspot.com/2025/01/challenge-93.html

https://www.stampingsensations.uk/2025/01/january.html - handcoloured image - i coloured mine with inktense pencils

https://creativeknockouts.blogspot.com/2025/01/539-something-to-say-polkadoodles.html

https://cinspirations.blogspot.com/2025/01/january-challenge-something.html - something old - the stamps, dies, papers are all years old