C is for Christmas

Sticking with the one word theme at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge blog I came across this die cut panel on one of the cards I am using for recycling. I mounted it on red glitter card and added black and silver die cut stars.

I am entering this into the following challenges 

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - One word
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes so long as it's Christmas

Christmas in one word

This week at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge the challenge is to use a single word greeting on the front of the card. I found the Greeting in my recycling bag and added die cut flowers flourishes and snowflakes the design.

I am entering this into the following challenges


http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - One word
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes so long as it's Christmas

Mr and Mrs

Two of my work colleagues are soon to become Mr and Mrs. I have been privileged enough to have seen the romance between them develop over the past few years and everyone at work is currently being treated to a countdown of weeks days hours and minutes until the moment they tie the not. They really are a lovely young couple and I wanted to make them something special to remember their special day by. Here is what I came up with.

I knew the colour of the bridesmaids dresses so used this as the base colour scheme for the card. Knowing that Laura loves anything with flowers and a little bling made the design really easy. All the die cuts were made using Marianne dies and my trusty sizzix. I used card in two shades of pink, white and silver mirror card from hunky dory.because I was using an embossing board to create the book shape the adorable scoreable card they make is perfect because the lovely satin finish doesn't crack.

I started by making the box base and lid using a glitter girls embossing board and whilst that was drying I got to work with their bookatrix embossing board and their fanciful embossing board. Once the layers of the main book were cut I curved them slightly to add dimension and added silver peel offs just inside the embossed lines to add emphasis. The centre spine of the book was wrapped with pink satin ribbon. 

I wanted the book to stand up on a easel and using a piece of A4 card folded to form an A5 card blank I folded this to form the base of my easel. I then embossed and cut round the door plate shape from the fanciful embossing board to shape the front inside of the blank for the stopper. I then embossed the layers from the fanciful board to match the layering on the main book. I added the congratulations message and added a flower at each end to form the stopper for the easel card.

I added a white heart that I had trimmed with sticky flat backed pearls all added individually around the edge. The greeting had been printed on safmat and was die cut to match the heart before sticking it down to get a neat edge. I added the die cut wedding rings and champagne glasses using glue gel to add dimension. To add the finishing touches to the card I added floral arrangements to each corner.  On the top corners I added a cream rose with a pink centre and then graduated cream roses to frame the page adding die cut leaves and wire spirals. The spirals were made from the off cut of stems from the flowers used and I wrapped the wire around the handle of a paint brush to shape them. 

 On the bottom corners  I added a single large pink rose again from Wild Orchid with some die cut fern leaves and a pearl spray, I finished off by adding the little twisted spirals.

Whilst the elements on the card were drying I could return to the box

I cut a panel of the paler pink card and stuck this to the lid adding a plain white heart and the lord and lady die cut heads. This was again trimmed with sticky backed pearls. I made the lady a veil using plastic net from a chocolate coin bag that was in my recycling box and added the tiny flowers to the head dress. 

I added a floral arrangement to the top left of the box using roses from Wild Orchid crafts (ivory tea rose) and then added die cut foliage a seam binding bow and a silver heart charm from Mei Flowers. I added a similar arrangement to the top right hand corner, but this time without the bow. 

I finished the box lid by adding a large pearl flourish across the bottom.

A couple of friends at work have seen the finished card and box and they were both convinced that Laura and Andrew will love the card. I am safe in the knowledge that neither of them are into the delights of blogging so it is safe to share the design here ahead of their big day. All that remains now is for us all to hope that April 26th is gorgeously sunny for them.

I am entering the card into the following challenges

http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - Love or Valentines
http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - Bingo I chose Pearls/dies or punches and ribbon
http://cinspirations.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes
http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - Flower Power
http://incywincydesigns.blogspot.co.uk/ - Pop it up
http://littlescrappieces.blogspot.co.uk/ - Valentine or with a heart
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes
http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes
http://crazychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - use Pink and gems
http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.co.uk/- Favourite things die cutting,and  embellishments

The Magic of Christmas

As part of my charity card project I have looked through hundreds of Christmas cards and many have already had sections cut from them with various shaped dies to be recycled into new cards. When I came across this one in the pile I couldn't bring myself to cut it. I loved the sentiment and the image together as they were so I trimmed it and to transform it I used some of my stash. I have already decided that some of the cards will be given directly to charity shops to sell, but we have a number of local charities who don't have the luxury of a charity shop to help raise funds so having discussed this with work colleagues some of the more elaborate cards will be put on sale at work and the cash raised will be donated to the charities. I have requested that my colleagues come up with suggestions for charities they would like to see supported so that we can spread the magic of Christmas to as many as possible throughout the year.

I used some dark purple snowflake vellum from my stash I bought  it years ago in a sale and have never had a suitable project for it. The recycled card image was just trimmed to get rid of any rough edges and stuck on the background at an angle before a die cut pine tree cut from green foil card and glittered randomly using stickles iridescent glitter glue was added and the whole thing was finished off with the glittered snowflakes. I added some extra glitter to the carpet of snow on the image using the glitter glue to make it really sparkle.

I am entering this card into the following challenges.

http://trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  - Christmas in February
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - Let it snow again
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes so long as it's Christmas
http://craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - All that glitters
http://citycrafter.blogspot.co.uk/ - All that glitters

Let it Snow

I know I was really glad to see the back of the snow outside my front door but the white stuff is still very much a feature in my charity card project. Here's one I cam up with last night it everything is recycled from the cards donated by work colleagues, except the die cut snowflake at the top left, which was from my stash I have a box full which have been cut from scraps of white card left over from other projects and when I want one I just grab it and glitter it as required.

I am entering this into the following challenges

http://trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  - Christmas in February
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - Let it snow again
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes so long as it's Christmas
http://craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - All that glitters
http://citycrafter.blogspot.co.uk/ - All that glitters

OLL Dt Inspiration Sparkle and Shine

Hello All, well love really was in the air for our last challenge at Ooh La La Creations. We had some really gorgeous cards entered in the challenge and the lucky winners can be seen on the blog. This time we have been challenged to Sparkle and Shine with our creations. Dawn who runs the challenge blog is also looking for some Guest designers to join our team each Guest will be invited to join for a period of 2 months which would involve producing 4 cards if you are interested when you enter the challenge this time just put GDT after you name on your entry and Dawn will choose some guests.

I chose to use and image and papers from the Femme Fatale CD.

I printed two images the same onto white card and then just decoupaged the wings. having done this I used several coats of stickles iridescent glitter glue to get the sparkle letting each coat dry. this also allowed the card underneath to curl up slightly when wet and then dry with the curve in to add even more dimension to the wings. I also added lilac ice stickles to the hem of her dress and her head band.

The flowers were cut from the off cuts of the backing paper and sparkle added in the form of the gemstone centres. I used scraps of the silver mirror card to cut the leaves and added ice stickles in lavender and finished off the floral arrangement with some gemstone swirls.

The rainbow ribbon and a butterfly cut from the pastel rainbow paper add the finishing touches.

Inside I used more of the backing papers from the Femme Fatale CD and added a printed doily from my stash to provide space for the greeting to be written

I am entering this into the following Challenges 

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ Things with wings

http://craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ All that glitters

http://crazychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - use pink and gems
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/ anything goes 

No Snow

Well I hope it remains so as they are forecasting it for around midnight here, but whatever the weather the Challenge over at Crafty Hazenut's this week a Christmas card with no snow. So it was back to the recycling bag and having sorted through every snowy scene imaginable I came across a lovely embossed dove on a musical score type background. I trimmed the image to create a topper and here is the finished card I came up with.

The Papers are from Papermania and were left overs from one of their Christmas goody bags the lace and flowers are from my stash. The word Peace was cut from an off cut of card from a previous project and this was mounted on an off cut from one of the recycled Christmas cards. I used a craft card backing as I wanted a vintage effect and having aged the papers by rubbing the edges along a scissors blade I used Antique linen distress ink form Ranger to colour the whole surface of the papers and the doily, and then highlighted the edges of the paper with Tea Stain distress ink. I have a box full of flat back pearls and gems that I have accumulated over the years as freebies from various magazines so used these round the centre of the doily and at the edges of the card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - No Snow 

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything goes so long as it's Christmas