Some Flowers for Winter

 Since International Art and Soul is no longer publishing challenges, I need to remember to post things I've done independently. Call it a New Year Resolution, if you like, although some projects get published on my craft group blog: Crafty Harrow Ladies . So, what have I been up to lately?

I picked up a Spellbinders waterfall card die in the post Christmas sales and used it to make a card using stamps from Creative Crafting magazine.

And also in the sales, I picked up a couple of new Susan Tierney Cockburn dies. Each time she has a new collection, I try to pick up options I don't already have, and this time I got Beeblossom and Spirea which I combined with various ferns and stems and a rather oddly coloured gazania. (I'm a crafter, not a gardener, so I make flowers to suit even if they don't exist in nature!)

 The actual image area is about 7 by 7 and the frame 9 by 9 in. I embossed the background using a Crafter's Companion folder, and made the frame by extending from a Elizabeth Craft die. I used a stencil to give the front of the frame a little colour on the slightly gold tinged cream cardstock. I coloured most of the card using either Promarkers or Distress Ink and added some detail with Pan Pastel and liquid pearl.

International Art and Soul Challenge 148

 The new challenge from International Art and Soul was set by my team mate Crafty Girl. It's a long challenge - five weeks this time, and she wants projects on the theme of Winter.

It's a long time since I've made a card using only die cuts, but I was inspired to do this. The background panel die is from Frantic Stamper, the Winter die from Sheena Douglass, and the snowflakes were cut using a very old Cuttlebug die. It was one of the earliest I bought, and I could never cut it with my Spellbinders Wizard die cutter. It was simply too thick, and with the heavy-duty cutting plates that machine used, and the problems of reversing it if something went wrong, it simply lay, unused, until I got my Big Shot Pro. Now, of course, it cuts easily, and the combination of snowflakes and stars is always useful.

The white card is a pearlescent white with a lovely sheen that the photo has completely failed to represent,

In the meantime, I wish you a very happy festive season and all the very best for 2023, and hope you can join us for the challenge. 

International Art and Soul Challenge 147

 The challenge for this fortnight was set by my team mate Maggie, and she wants us to post something with a Fancy Fold.

I spotted instructions for an Infinity card on Craftworld recently. I tried one of these years ago, and it was horribly difficult with having to separate out sections using a craft knife. I wasn't impressed. This version just uses four separate pieces of card, and was so much easier! You can see the instructions here.

Then, I saw somewhere, I think it was a Lavinia Facebook group, where someone had filled the various panels with different pictures and decided to try something similar. The basic card started with four pieces of card, each 8in by 4in, and the end result is 8 by 8in. This is what I came up with!

This is the front. I created the picture as a whole and then cut it to fit the panels. Anywhere there is an opening or a fold, I treated as a separate panel. The stamps here are a mix of Lavinia and Inkylicious, and the background inks are Distress while the stamping ink was Versafine Clair.

When you open as if the card is a gatefold, you get this:

Mainly Lavinia with one Inkylicious stamp as well as some Tapestry stamps in the lower, large image. When you open this along the line between the cat and the sprite, you get this:

The poppy images are the same as in the last photo - visible on two 'sides' of the card. Again Lavinia, Inkylicious and also some Clarity stamps along with stencils from a set I got at The Range. And finally, opening along the central vertical line, you get this:

Stamps this time are from Inkylicious, Artemio, Woodware, and Personal Impressions.. I left a panel without an image so I can add a message.

Throughout, I've added detail to the stamped images using Posca pens, and on this face, I added a little glitter. Opening this along the horizontal centre returns you to the front of the card.

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 146

 The challenge for this fortnight was set by my team mate Christine, and she wants us to make a Christmas card. 

The amount of time I spend on Christmas cards varies depending on how close to Christmas it is, but there's still a while to go now, so I've been making some stitched cards. 

The tree and pot pattern is from Stitching Cards and is copyright to them. I bought the pattern a few years ago, and I love it, so this year, I've done several in different colour schemes, and I've added the stitched frame to complete the effect.

The varigated thread I used each time is from Sulky. I do love their Blendable range. The gold thread is from Anchor.

The metallic thread this time is silver and from Krenik.

In each case, I've varied the way I've stitched the pot, and I've added some glitter gel pen to complete the effect.

So, quite a good start on my Christmas cards, but I've still got a fair number to do. I do hope you can join us this time.