Red and white

I've made a very quick Christmas card with some die cuts I bought in a pack some time ago, so I can't tell you which dies were used. There was no question of inlaying as I don't have the dies but that would have looked pretty smart I think.
 

I picked out this Merry Christmas and then found a scrap of red card which (more or less) matches and cut to size for the bottom part of the card. I was considering a ribbon or something but then liked the red and white simplicity. So I added the holly sprig and that was it. 
This is very good as I am trying to do too much at the moment. At least I have an extra day to do it in this weekend. Hope everyone in the UK enjoys their Spring Bank Holiday. It's looking very springlike everywhere and has even been warm and sunny.  It does seem odd to be making Christmas cards in spring but I am up to date with birthdays just now. 
I'd like to enter this in May's Rudolf Days challenge. Missed it by a day last month, somehow I'd lost a day somewhere!
And 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. An early entry this week, Normally I'm running in on Friday.  The challenge is to use dies or punches. They weren't actually my dies but they were in my stash, so I hope that's ok.

Through the window

I've managed to make a card in between working and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. 
I had a bit of a plan when I started and then it evolved:

I started with a piece of apricot card but it was just too bright! So I settled for this cream card which is lightly embossed with a flower pattern. I've had it forever so I'm using up my stash. Hooray. 

I started by cutting a piece of white card and stamping the foxgloves. Lying on my desk was a die cut ivy leaf so that seemed a good idea for the front. I cut three stems out of a piece of card which was inked in green so it is a bit mottled. It gives a good look to the leaves and with a bit of work could be very good.Then I used a die supposed to make the centre of a flower as I thought it looked a little like ivy flowers. I added black Stickles in the centre so it now looks nothing like an ivy flower. 
I glued the foxgloves to the back through the window then stamped a sentiment underneath. I didn't like it at all so I cut another piece of thick paper, cut another window and put it over the whole of the back. Then I continued the foxgloves on each side. 
I'm not sure if the front and back really bear any relation to each other but there it is. I fiddled about with various ideas but in the end I left everything else off.
The stamps are Hobby Art.
Dies are Leane Createif. I bought the ivy as I was with a friend who doesn't have a die cutting machine and doesn't even make cards. She loves ivy though. I said I'd buy it and cut some out for her, which I did. It's the best excuse for buying crafty stuff that I've come up with yet and it is a lovely die. 
I'm entering this into the current Butterfly Challenge which is A for Aperture and/or Apricot. You need to look hard for the butterflies but they are there!
And as I've used snippets I'll run over to Pixie's Snippets Playground for a play in the sun. I am happy to report that my snippets pile is SMALLER than it used to be.

Snow globe

As often happens, this is not the card I set out to make. 
The challenge at Merry Monday is Snow Globes. Lovely, I thought. I've never made a shaker card so I made it up as I went along and I did want it to shake.

                                                             
 

I decided to make a snowy scene and inked a panel and stamped snowflakes on it for the centre of the snow globe. I found this very pretty, blue paper and forced myself to cut into it rather than saving it for who knows what.

Then I decided that the cut circle looked better than what I had stamped so I've used that as the centre with a little inking round the edge. 

I'm re-cycling too - I've used an old cellophane card bag for the window and embossed a bit of the inside of an envelope for the snow globe base. 

It was all going to be straight and centred but the tag didn't quite fit so I hit on the idea of angling the globe. I like the way it looks as though it's being shaken. I'd like to add 'shake' lines like this: ((( ))) but know I'd ruin it. 

There are two die cut snow flakes and some glitter in the globe. The snowflakes do move but keep getting caught on each other.  

I'd like to enter this into the Merry Monday challenge and also
Pixie's Snippets Playground. I've used a pre-loved, and discarded, card base, snippets of card, under the window and for the tag, and silver thread.  I'm thinking of banning myself from buying any more stuff till I have used up all the bits and pieces I'm hoarding!
Thanks for visiting, have a good a weekend. x

Wooden heart

There is a lovely challenge at Merry Monday this week. Woodgrain, Kraft and white. 

                                     

Here is my card:

I used kraft card and dragged a Latte ink pad over it to create the wood grain. Then I used a stamp I've never used before to make the heart shaped hanger. It's not the kind of stamp I usually use but it looks good here embossed in white. (Which I managed without too much mess!) 
I cut it out bigger than the stamp and folded the edges back to give it more dimension, using a ball tool to encourage it. I glued a couple of layers of scraps behind it too to make it a little thicker. I think it will still be flat enough to go in the post. 
Then I left it well alone. No more time today anyway, as the sun was shining and it was WARM so I had to be outside.
Thanks for visiting. x

Ruby, ruby, ruby, ruby

I've been making this card as a blessed relief from decorating our bathroom. It has been very fiddly and involved sanding walls, which is not I thing I ever thought I would do. However, I'm on to the good bit today and it is starting to look better. Hopefully the chaos will be over by the end of the week. 
I've managed to combine two challenges which I don't often manage. I've used the sketch from Stamplorations:

Here is my card:

The Stamplorations theme this month is Stamps and Anything Goes - not too tricky then! You can choose the sketch, the theme or both. I'm pleased that I remembered when I needed inspiration as I usually forget. The DT always produce wonderful and varied cards. 
For Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge this time it's R for Ruby Red and/or Recycled. 
I hope the ruby is obvious. The flowers are made from an envelope. A catalogue arrived at our house in a white envelope made from some sort of shiny woven paper. It was still lying about several days later (sigh!) so I appropriated it.

Blurry picture of the envelope

I did need to run it back and forward to cut with the die, because of the fibres, and was not able to emboss as it was too slippery and moved around. I have a small collection of things I am saving to recycle but could find myself hoarding! Maybe someone will leave home and I can have their room...
I also added these ruby gems which came with some smaller ones. I've never used them as they are rather large but perfect for these flowers and this challenge. Not one for posting though. I received a card in the post with gems on it and they were poking through the envelope by the time it arrived with me, and they were tiny ones. Beware!
I'm also linking to CASual Fridays who are back with new challenges, amazing inspiration and temptation. 

                                                        
I'll be giving this to my good friend and boss, who is a gem, rarely gets an easy time of it but always bounces back. 
 
I'll stop wittering on now. Just left to say what I used:
My favourite Artemio flourishes. 
Card-io Butterfly. 
Leane Creatief flower die.
Hobby Art - Happy Birthday
Cranberry ink. 

 

Rudolf

Having had success with my brayer last week, I decided to have another go. As is always the way, the stars were not  in alignment and it didn't go to plan.
I did manage to get this background out of the session. It is brayered with blue ink then spritzed with water which makes lovely snow (it was supposed to be stars but I was rather heavy handed).

The Rudolf die cut is one I bought in a packet a while back so I don't know the brand. I wanted some roof tops so I used these Polka Doodle houses. I was going to colour them but then changed my mind and only used yellow at the windows. Then I added some Stickles to the roof tops for snow. Finally a bit of star dust courtesy of a Kanban stamp which comes with a butterfly set. 
I'd like to link this to:
52 Christmas Card Throwdown - pick a previous theme. I chose Rudolf/Reindeer from  June 14.
Merry Monday - Ombre and glitter. 
Hopefully I'll get time to visit some of the other creations this weekend. 
x 

Tea and cake

Less is More are challenging us to use Designer Paper but still in a CAS way.

I chose the paper as I fancied a tea set in this pattern:

There are two cakes as one is for a friend, you understand, and I promise you the cup is straight.
The paper is from a book called The Paper Stack which I bought a while back, in WH Smith.

I've used paper for this teacup and also the cake cases which are a pale blue stripe.
Zig zag stamps - Casual Fridays
Flower and words - Hobby Art 
Cup and cake stamps - unknown, included in a goody bag from a show, I suspect they were free on a magazine once. 
I'm also skipping over to Pixie's Snippets playground to show as I've used snippets - not many but it all helps!
I think I like it but am not quite sure. Let me know what you think. x