Sunday 30 April 2017

New challenge at Unstampabelles

It's a new month and a new challenge at Unstampabelles. Time must have wings as it flies by so quickly. We are almost halfway through this year Wow! The fruit trees in the orchard are growing really well but some high winds last weekend caused us to lose literally hundreds of plums. Thankfully the apricots survived so all the fruit harvest is not lost!

This time we would like to see some layering on your creations and the TWIST is to use a border punch or edging die.

 As usual there is a prize on offer and this time it's two edging dies. I wish I could enter as I love this one!!

 
Couture Creations edging dies
(New)
 
Here is my inspiration for you.
 
 
It's a handbag shaped card using a template provided by one of my crafter friends. Thank you Christine. It's a simple shape folded at the top. I embossed the white card stock with a new A4 embossing folder that I got from Joanne Sheen. I cut two layers for the flap using an edging die. One was white embossed card to match the main 'handbag' and the other was patterned cardstock. I then used the edging die again to make the handle.
 
 I'll try to explain how I did it. I  took a piece of the patterned card stock and cut one edge. Then I turned it 180 degrees and cut the opposite edge. The piece was then folded down the centre and then I carefully fussy cut the middle away to create the space on the handle.I adhered this on to the top of the card before adding the layers made earlier to give it more strength.
 
The flowers were die cut in the same card stock and Rangers Mint Green liquid pearls were added to the centres. Then I lightly drew some pencil lines to create a spray effect and added the liquid pearls to them. I will add a sentiment at a later date when I decide who will receive it!
 
Please pop over to Unstampabelles (link in sidebar) and see what the rest of the team have created. I look forward to visiting you soon and thank you for all your comments which are always read and appreciated.
 
Have fun and a very crafty week!

Monday 24 April 2017

'Get Well Wishes' at Ooh La La

It's time for a new chaklenge at Ooh La La. I have chosen the theme this time and it's 'Get Well Wishes'. Here is my inspiration for you.


I started with  A4 card stock folded and printed the image and background paper from an Ooh La La CD 'Everyday Occasions'. I used a Martha Stewart punch on a strip of the pale blue background paper and placed it along the edge of the card to add interest. The tag with the sentiment is also from the same CD. You can find the CD in the Ooh La La shop here ooh-la-la-creations

I hope you'll be inspired to join the challenge the winner will receive 2 free digi images from the Ooh La La shop. For more inspiration pop over to the Ooh la La challenge blog and see what the rest of the team have created (Link in sidebar)

Have fun!

Sunday 23 April 2017

Unstampabelles final week.

We've had some fab entries for our challenge at Unstampabelles so far this month using die cuts and the twist is to add a bird. There's still time to enter as you have til the end of the month to create something for this challenge. Anything goes as long as you don't use stamps of any type including digi stamps and images. There's a great prize on offer donated by our lovely leader Susan.
                                                                    10 die cut bunnies
                                                                  chic dies....how cute are these!

Here is my inspiration for you this week.

It's a zig zig floating flowers card. I cut an oblong strip of card and embossed it. Then folded it in half and one side was folded in half again to make the zig zag. A small strip approx. 1'' wide was cut and folded in the same way and I placed it a third of the way up the main card. I embossed panels to go on each side and the strip. Then I added die cut flowers using  patterned designer paper. I also die cut some sprays of ivy in white. The flowers were placed randomly across the strip and on the back panels. I found a snippet of paper with a green bird on it .....lucky me thinks. It fitted the colour scheme perfectly and the challenge twist! Finally I added gems across the strip and in the centre of the flowers.
I hope I've inspired you. There is more inspiration for you on the Unstampabelles challenge blog (link in side bar). I look forward to visiting your blogs and don't forget NO STAMPS PLEASE!!! Go on you can do it!!
Have fun!

CD Sunday

Good Morning everyone. I hope you are all fully recovered from the Easter festivities and not eaten too many of the childrens' chocolate eggs!! It'sd time for our new challenge at CD Sunday. We had some lovely entries for the last challenge 'Spring Colours' which also had an extra prize for the winner as we are celebrating our 7th Birthday....doesn't time fly!! The results will be up in two weeks when Pauline has chosen her winner. In the meantime the winner of the previous challenge 'Any Old Iron'', chosen by Jocelyn, is up on the blog now. So don't forget to pop over to see if it's you. Link in side bar.

Now for our new challenge and it's something a bit different for us, it's a 'Sketch', kindly devised by our lovely leader Carol.


Here is my inspiration for you.


I have used three different CDs to create this card. It's a square card. The main image and the square of blue flowered background paper are from a Joanne Sheen CD, artwork by Janet Kruskamp. The sentiment is from 'Holly Hill Pond', also from Joanne Sheen and finally the flowers are from Debbie Moore 'Elegant Moments'. The added gems in the corners and on the flower are from my stash.

I hope you'll be inspired by Carol's Sketch and the teams creations. Pop over to Cd Sunday and visit them to give them some love.

Have fun!!

Saturday 22 April 2017

#79 'Show me a Dragonfly'

Good Morning crafters. It's time for another challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies, which very appropriately is all about 'Dragonflies'. We would like to see a Dragonfly somewhere on your card. This is my inspiration for you.


This is a favourite image of mine which I have stored on My Pictures. I have used it before on an altered notebook. I decided to use it again for this challenge as it's so pretty. I am not sure who the artist is but if anyone knows please let me know so I can give credit. The co-ordinating background papers were with the image too so this made the layout very easy. There were some extra dragonflies to decoupage but I used them two randomly instead. I die cut a Happy Birthday from purple mirri card.. It's a retro die from Joanne Sheen. Finally adding three purple gems to the corner. Et Voila!!

I hope you're inspired to join the challenge, which is a fun challenge for cards only. Link to Crafting with Dragonflies in the side bar.

Have fun!

Sunday 16 April 2017

Midway at Unstampabelles

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you're all enjoying your weekend whatever you may be doing to celebrate. Greek Orthodox Easter is also being celebrated at the same time this year. It doesn't happen often but double celebrations are lovely.

The five domed Greek Orthodox church in Yeroskipou near Paphos Cyprus. The red eggs are symbolic with Easter, the red depicting the blood of Jesus.

We are mid way through the challenge at Unstampabelles . The challenge is ' To die for...' So we are looking for yummy dies on your creations and the twist is to add a bird. There's an great prize on offer too
10 die cut bunnies

.brand new sweet chicks die
 
Here is my inspiration for you.

It's an A5 card and I used a fancy edger die to use on the gatefold opening. I also added two diecut butterflies. The main card is patterned and I layered a matching lilac matt inside which I'd embossed. The bird and nest are from a Joanne Sheen CD Holly Hill Pond and was a snippet of left over paper from another project. The Birthday Wishes is also from this CD. Finally I added pink gems to the butterflies and flowers under the nest. Peeping through from the inside is another image from some Hunky Dorey papers.

I hope I've inspired you to take part. So just get out those lovely dies and don't forget no stamping please. (Although lovely to see they won't put be in the prize draw.)

'Happy Easter' or if you are also celebrating Greek Orthodox Easter 'Kalo Paxa!'.

Monday 10 April 2017

'Birthday' with Ooh La La

It's time for our new challenge at Ooh La La and it's 'Birthdays' chosen by Pauline. We had some fab entries for our Layer it up challenge last time. The Top Three are up on the blog now so don't  forget to pop over to see if you're a winner (link in sidebar)
Here is my inspiration for you this time.



                                   (sorry the light wasn't too good when I took this photo)

It's another of my different folds etc. I prefer a challenge of making new folds and styles of cards instead of the simple A4 folded!! Some of my fellow crafters think I'm mad! Maybe just a little crazy!!

This design was shown to me by one of our crafters in my group. Not sure if it has a name but it's a zig zag fold with 3 ovals placed centrally across the large oblong aperture. You need fairly sturdy card for this one to give it some strength as the central aperture is large. Alternatively you could place acetate behind the aperture .....wish I'd thought of this when I was making it!! The letters for the greeting are all die cuts from a die cut set we've had in the craft group for eons .....not sure who makes them sorry.

The centre oval contains a lovely image from an Ooh La La CD  'Say it with words' It's a beautiful image and looks like a watercolour painting....very pretty. You will find the CD for sale here .ooh-la-la-creations

I finished off the design with flat backed pearls placed around the oval frames.

I think this will be a popular challenge as we all need birthday cards!! So I look forward to visiting many of you and seeing if anyone has been brave enough, like me,to make a different style birthday card!!

Have a lovely week and Happy Easter to you all!!

Sunday 9 April 2017

CD Sunday extra prizes for 7th Birthday wishes to us........

Yes it's our 7th birthday this year on the 18th April at CD Sunday! It falls almost exactly between our next two challenges. So help us to celebrate our 7th Birthday with our 'Spring Colours' challenge , chosen by Pauline.

These Birthday celebrations may become a permanent feature with us, as we had one last year and you supported us so well.  We decided to add a special gift again this time to the winner. This is the ADDITIONAL prize donated by a team member. So whoever wins will get this prize plus a little something from Pauline as it's her challenge.

                                                              This is the extra prize!!
It's a Tattered Lace slider die.....yummy eh!!
 
 
Here is my 'Spring Colours' inspiration for you.
 



This delightful image and background papers are from Joanne Sheen 'Holly Hill Pond'.  Spring green and yellow always makes me think of daffodils and thus heralding Spring.
The main card is A4 and the green lace border is made using a Martha Stewart punch. I added small cream silk roses to each corner and hand cut some green card to  create the 'photo' triangle corners, The Easter Greeting is also on the CD.

I hope you're inspired to join us this time for our 7th Birthday challenge. Don't  forget to use something from a CD in your creation....it doesn't have to be a card....  and give the CD credit.

I look forward to visiting you all soon and Happy Easter to you all!!
 

Saturday 8 April 2017

'Easter Card'

Easter will soon be here in the Christian calendar and this year Orthodox Easter falls also at the same time. So a double celebration if you're in Cyprus!!

Our challenge this time at Crafting with Dragonflies therefore is, very appropriately, 'Easter Cards'!!
This is my inspiration for you.


It's a very simple, traditional Easter card made for my best friend in the UK. The flowers on the cross and corner are decoupaged.

Remember this is a fun , card only challenge blog. Please pop over to Crafting with Dragonflies to see what the rest of the team have created and give them some love. (link in side bar)

Happy Easter Blessings to all my crafty friends and followers.

Sunday 2 April 2017

Unstampabelles ' To Die For..........'

A new month and a new challenge at Unstampabelles. We would like you to use those yummy dies and the optional twist is to add a bird or two or three!!

We had some great entries for our last challenge 'Punctuation'. The winner and DT choice will be on the challenge board soon.

Here is my inspiration for you this time.



This is a wedding card I made recently at my craft group. It uses heart dies and a new edging die with a heart and two swans. I began with A4 white card stock and edged ti with the die. Then I embossed it with a new embossing folder. I added white ribbon down the side to cover the edge of the die cut and another ribbon down the centre of the card. I used three different sizes of heart dies. The larger one at the top also has  'LOVE'  on it. Then the hand tied white ribbon bows and flat backed pearls were added to the hearts to finish.

                               You can see the die cut hearts better from this angle I think.
       I will add the wedding greetings and personalised details to the card nearer the time.

I  hope I have inspired you to join the challenge. For more inspiration pop over to Unstampabelles (link in sidebar) to see what the rest of the Design Team have created. As always theirs a yummy prize on offer courtesy of our lovely leader Susan.
10 die cut baby bunnies, for those up and coming Easter cards.....
 
 
......AND some sweet baby chick dies!! How generous is that!!!
 
I hope you all have a lovely crafty week and I look forward to visiting you soon.