June Rudolph Day - Cards 35 and 36

It is once again Rudolph Days over at Sarn's blog Stamping for Pleasure. Submit your posts featuring two Christmas cards on the same post, and join in the fun. Best of all, by years end,  you will have 22 cards finished in time for Xmas mailing

Todays Card One, is glittery, shimmery and has a certain sparkle...a sparkle that an uptown girl will recognize right away.

Eldest daughter is definitely an uptown girl like this Special Miss. She will probably scoop up this card to give to one of her friends. I can think of several who would enjoy it!

Don't know if you can see it, but the silver shimmer card stock was embossed with a snowflake folder. Most EF in Canada are for 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 cards. That left me with an area of the card stock that was not embossed. I chose to  off center my image mat and tied a piece of fine silver cord on the side that was not embossed.

Recipe
Card base - white 5 1/2 inch square textured stash card
Card Stock - snippets of reddish burgundy from stash
Glitter paper - Silver and aqua glitter paper from stash
Twine - silver fine cording from stash
Image - I think it might be a  Kaban foiled topper

Card Two

I used a Wild Rose Studio topper and some pretty papers I got in a magazine when I was in England last summer.  I kept it fairly simple as I wanted the topper to dominate the card. I matted with a bit of kraft card and just die cut a couple of Impression Obsession snowflakes and add some kraft colours pearls.

Recipe
Card base -  from my stash
DP - Wild Rose Studio Annabelle's Christmas
Card Stock - snippets of kraft card
Image - Wild Rose Studio topper
Dies - Quickuts corner die; Impression Obsession snowflakes
Bling - red teensy diamonds from my stash

Here is a close up of the WRSy topper...

****************These are cards 35 and  card 36 of 50. I have been on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

I am entering these cards in the following challenges
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets Note to Di...I am only submitting the Wild Rose Studio topper card as that is the one that used my snippets...the first card was made at my neighbours and used her stash!!!  
2. Stamping for Pleasure, Rudolph Day - must be two Xmas cards on the same post
3. Mark's Finest Paper Speedy TV Christmas Card Challenge - must be Christmas

Christmas Card Club - Angels (Stash Card 34)

It is my turn to host the fortnightly theme for the Christmas Card Club. I chose Angels and had a specific angel stamp in mind. It is specific all right...it is my only angel stamp!
It has never seen ink and I had grand ideas to heat emboss it in silver  on a navy blue sky.

Well, I have searched high and low and can not find it. I have the stamp package and all the other stamps are there, but the angel is missing.  Sadly, I believe I have loaned it out and of course have forgotten who I loaned it too.

In my search, I did manage to find this lovely angel, up cycled from an old Xmas card.  I decided to use it as it is already what I had in mind... An angel in the night sky! The card had some lovely gold metallic embossed patterns on it so it looks quite sparkly.

                                 
I have matted in pearlescent purple as I have a couple of friends who love that colour. I added a Memory Box snowflake border from a snippet of the purple card, and added a few gold pearls to finish it off.  I had a few teensy snippets leftover and cut Believe from my Tattered Lace die. It fit quite nicely on my angels robe and serves as my sentiment. I added a bit of gold fine cord just below the matted image, to tie in the metallic finish on the paper.

Recipe
Card base - cut from my stash
Card stock -snippet of purple pearlescent card
DP - Authentique, Glistening;  from my stash
Cord -fine gold metallic cord from my stash
Dies - Memory Box snowflake border; Tattered Lace die words phrases (Believe)
Image -up cycled from an old Xmas card

I am entering this card in the following challenges

1. Pixies Crafty Workplace - must use snippets
2. Christmas Card Club  - use theme of Angels

Birds and birdhouses Part 1 - Card 33

This is another quick and easy card made with some more of those 3D stickers from the dollar store. I am trying to use up all these 3D stickers, so hope you do not get too sick of them.
This is another card that I made up at the lake. Somehow I missed packing the photo album full of die cuts I had rolled off for these cards.  I had to make do with a Martha Stewart doily and a square of card stock.
 Oh well, it is another card made and the person I send it to will not know about the pretty circles I cut and then forgot to pack...and to think I cut them just to place this doily on!

Recipe
Card base and envelope - from my stash
DP - snippet of unknown blue diamond DP; Dotted DP is Lori Whitlock Summer Bliss
Card stock - snippetof coral card from my stash
Doily - Martha Stewart doily from my stash
3D stickers - from my stash ( dollar store originally)

****************This is card #33 of 50. I am on a Consumables spending freeze until I make 50 cards or paper projects (cardstock and Sook Wang adhesive tape are allowed).

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card base with paper

Birthdays and friends - Card 32

Many of you may remember my excitement about shopping for British Craft Magazines when I was in England last summer. I bought a lovely selection and treasured the fabulous freebies that were inside!

I celebrated my 60th Birthday in March and had a lovely surprise arrive from England. It camewith a delightful card and a lovely trip down Memory Lane as it contained a Britsh Crafting magazine, complete with...yes...you guessed it...a FREEBIE!

This gorgeous little Present Fairy and a plethora of lovely sentiments, were the wonderful freebie gifts!
Well, not so freebie for my friend who spent a fortune to mail it here...but certainly a delight for me to open!

I pinked up a wee surprise for her and made up this card to send back. Hope she enjoys it too! Her favourite colour is purple but I only have one purple copic pen...so had to use my pinks! I stickled the wings with my trusty Star Dust Stickles...I don't know why I buy any of the other shades as it seems this is all I use! I also added a touch of silver Sakura Gelly Roll pen around the outines of the image fpr a little additional sparkle.

I am entering this is Darnell's NBUS challenge as this is the first time the fairy stamp  has been inked. I think sending a RAK back to my friend, meets the brief of friendship that Darnell has set for this challenge.  This challenge is open till June 27th...pop on over and see the gorgeous cards that have been made so far!

Recipe

Card base and envelope - from my stash ( a gift from another friend, when I was England)
Design papers -    purchased in England as well
Card stock - snippet of Copic Express for the image
Ribbon - snippet of pink velvet rickrack from my stash
Flowers - from my stash (originally from Michaels)
Bling - pearls in a diamond shape (rather than the usual round shape) from my stash

****************This is card #32 of 50. I have been on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper
3. djkardkreations NBUS Challenge - must use NBUS and theme of friendship

VOS Card 31

This is another card from that ancient Daisy D 12x12 card making pad They have a heavy weight card base, oval diecuts, strips of patterned paper in different widths and matching teensy treat boxes. The card bases themselves are already printed with a pattern. I must say they are handy to use.

As part of my commitment to use up my older stash, I decided to get them all made up. I had been avoiding that, as I have always thought they are a bit old lady looking. But...they were perfect to take to the lake as everything was there to make simple cards.

The lilac sentiment mat is a left over from the purple series of cards I made for my girlfriend. The butterfly was part of that series as well...good to use up those pesky little leftover bits of a package...now the packet can be thrown away and that is a good thing!

I managed to find a snippet of a pale pink pompom style ribbon that I tucked under the gingham strip.
A few pearl gems, and I was done!

Sorry the photo is so out of focus...here is a close up to show you it is my lack of photography skills... not my stamping.

****************This is card #31 of 50. I am on a consumables spending freeze until I have made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock are exempt).***************

If you remember my post Card 29, where I waffled about some changes...well here they are...
I added 3 diamonds and pink circles behind the buttons as I found the view through the buttonholes too distracting.

Recipe
Card base - Daisy D from my stash
Envelope - from my stash
DP - came with card kit
Card Stock - snippets of white for sentiment and lilac for horizontal strip, from my stash
Dies - Spellbinders petite circles; Marianne doily die
Butterfly - chipboard butterfly from my stash
Pearls - from my stash

I am entering this card in the following challenges
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets

Tiny Dancer Card 30

I have what I hope is a fun post for you today. I am this fortnight's guest designer at The Butterfly Challenge. I was so happy when my blogging friend Mrs A, started this challenge.  I love to use butterflies on my cards and judging by how popular this challenge is, many of you do too!

The theme for challenge #9 is Monochromatic. I chose to work with a sort of salmony pink colour. From light salmon to dark, with some extra shades in between...that was my goal.

This Ballerina Birthday card is for a friend of my youngest daughter. They went to High School together and her friend  danced as a ballerina. She has just had her first baby and has taken up ballet class once again.

I think she will enjoy this Tiny Dancer. I had fun making it as I have not made this type of fold before. In fact I have not been very brave in the past and have hardly made any fancier folds!

The ballerina embellishments are K&Co 3Dimensional stickers and they have lovely sparkly lines. These were all left over from a scrapbook page I made for little Miss C, when she was in ballet class.

Hope you will check out Mrs A and The Butterfly Challenge. It is a fun challenge with a friendly bunch of crafters taking part. You will feel welcome, I know! The challenge starts on June 18th and runs for two weeks.

Recipe
Card base and envelope - card is hand cut from my heavy weight card stash, envelope from stash
DP - word paper is Colorbok Bright Ideas; the print is an unknown snippet
Card stock - salmony pink card from my stash
Die - Spellbinders Eyelet Squares
K&Co 3Dimensional stickers of ballet dress, shoes, flower and butterflies...all from my stash
Sentiment Stamp - Stampin' Up

I am submitting this card to the following challenges:

1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets (the die cut and the sentiment strip were snippets)

Snippets - Card 29

Do you ever challenge yourself to make a card from the snippets that just happen to be on your desk? Here is one I made with the bits and bobs (snippets of course) that were left over from that set of purple cards I made for my friend last month. The DP is actually a flat sheen card with heavily heat embossing on the flowers. It was another of my 25 cent  6 pack of preprinted cards and envelops from the Michael's clearance bins. The card has a very flat sheen except for the embossing.
I simply sliced it in half, added the snippet of velvet rickrack ribbon, the sentiment and the butterfly.                                                  

Here is a little close up of the Stickles on the sentiment mat...and the embossing on the DP...

 No recipe today as this is too easy peasy to list. Off to make up the other 5...it was a 6 pack after all!

****************This is card #29 of 50. I have been on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets

Easy Peasy Butterfly - Card 28

Do you have some very old stash? I have had these Daisy D 12x12  paper pads for a few years now. They are a paper pad of card kits. They have a heavy weight card base, oval diecuts, strips of patterned paper in different widths and matching teensy treat boxes. The card bases themselves are already printed with a pattern. I must say they are handy to use.

Since they are very old NBUS (never before used stuff) I can pop over to visit Darnell at  djkardkreations and enter her new NBUS challenge.

Just roughed up the edges with the side of my scissors, added a dollar store butterfly and a sentiment flag from my stash.  I added some snippets of what used to be a larger pearl flourish for the butterfly trails.    Another little bling flower on the belly band and it was done...I did warn you that it was easy peasy!!!

Here is a bit of a close up to show the distressed edges and the butterfly. I had a couple of packages of these ones in my stash. I liked them as there is no sheen on the ivory wings...just on the embossed dark areas of the wings. I have used up one package now...still have one to go!!!

****************This is card #28 of 50. I have been on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

I am entering this card in the following challenges

1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets.  The pearl flourish bits were snippets of a once larger flourish.

Birds and Birdhouses - Card 27

Here is another one of those 3D sticker bird cards I made while up at the lake. I warned you I was trying to use these stickers up!
Looks like I must be trying to use up the Martha Stewart doilies too...I just realized they are on every sticker card I made! I forgot to bring the die cut circles that were to go behind these stickers, so the doily package was given a good workout! I popped the doily forward on this one, to give it a little depth.

I toyed with the idea of adding a few rhinestones in the top right hand corner of the yellowy gold mat.  Could not decide whether to do 3 in a row (boring I know), or 1 in the middle of that pattern on the top right...what do you think?

Think I should have slid a solid pink circle behind the buttons on the button border, so the buttonholes would look the same!  Amazing how I never notice these things till I look at the photo...Yep...I think I took the photo too fast...this card still needs some TLC!

Recipe
Card base and envelope - from my stash
DP -  Background musical score is Forever In Time Perfect Prints, the other DP are snippets from my stash
Border - snippet of Daisy Button self adhesive border is most likely K&Co but I am not sure anymore
Doily - Martha Stewart
Stickers - 3D stickers from my stash (originally from the dollar store)
Ink - Igvilde Bohm pink chalk ink

****************This is card #27 of 50. I have been on  a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

I am entering this card in the following challenges"
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper

Honour

Just wanted to share these moving photos of our Canadian Mounties.

It has been a tough few days for our country.

Seven More - Card 26

Look up...Look way up!

No, you are not looking for Rusty, the Friendly Giant's sidekick, but rather the flower ticker at the top of my blog! I have just added seven more flowers used from my stash.

I layered together seven flowers from my floral stash assortment,  a wee matching butterfly, and then mounted that all onto yet another of the 25 cent packages of pre-printed cards from Michael's...My NBUS item.

My blogging buddy Darnell, has a wonderful challenge going on at her blog djkardkreations.
She coined the phrase NBUS (never before used Schtuff ) and is hosting her first  NBUS challenge with lovely prizes. It is "Anything Goes with an emphasis on Friendship", and you have till June 27th to play along.

As a birthday card is something I would give to a friend, I hope my card fits the brief!

The sentiment and mat were from that photo album where I store my precut dies. I grab this book when I go to the RV...it desperately needs refilling as the contents are fairly picked over at the moment. I so would have preferred a nice scalloped mat but  C'est la vie!

Whoops...it looks as though the center of my large white flower has fallen off...how come i never noticed before I took the picture!!! Think this calls for a wee search of the craft room floor...now if ony I could remember it is were a gem or another of the navy flowers...lol

****************This is card #26 of 50. I have been on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

Recipe
Card and envelope - Michael's preprinted notecards (flat sheen), from my stash
Card stock - snippets of white and navy
Flowers - bits of various flowers layered together, from my stash
Bling - tiny diamond flowers used a centers on the navy flowers and also on the top right corner
Ribbon - snippet of jute ribbon, from my gunnysack/hessian stash
Stamp - Stampin Up I think

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. NBUS Challenge - must use never before used stash

Upcycling - Card 25

Picked up packet of pretty note cards a while back. I think they were from the Michael's clearance bins as they were only 25 cents for 6. Soon as I saw them, I wanted to fussy cut the birdcage and frame!

I got two cards from that packet of 6...I decoupaged 3 layers and like how it turned out. I used a pearl flourish over the strip of jute ribbon and decided I need to use them more often. I am always sure I will tangle them up as I lay them down and sure enough I did. I finally got it untangled and placed. lol
If you have any hints for easy placement of pearl flourishes, let me know. I have several of these flourishes and want to start using them.

I added a couple of pearlescent brown corner dies and a strip of matching paper on the left side and called it a day! For some reason, the brown strip on the left side is not showing clearly in the photo...the light is sort of bouncing off of  it. It is there though and IRL the brown sides so look more balanced than they apper in this photo! I promise!
Here is another photo that shows the layers of the birdcage...

Recipe:
Card base and envelope - from my stash
DP - unknown snippet from my 12x12 scrapbook paper stash
Card Stock - snippets of brown pearlescent and also green textured card from my stash
Bling - pearl flourish from my stash
Ribbon - jute ribbon from my stash
Dies - Spellbinders corner flourish
Image - fussy cut from some note cards (from my stash)



****************This is card #25 of 50. I have been on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************



I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper
2. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets

A Bird Duet Cards 23 and 24

I have been working hard on using up those 3D bird stickers. Here is a duet you might enjoy...
These are true snippets card. I had snippets of this DP that were exactly enough to cover the two cards. The border is a K &Co which is my VOS item of the day.
Card 23

The owl ribbon was bought in a sweet little papercrafting shop in Whitehaven, Cumbria. My cousin's dear wife told me about the shop and took me down to have a look about. I ended going back three times that week to continue looking and shopping. It was one of those shops that had a lot of lovely, hidden treasures.
Card 24
 My married daughter had a giggle over this card as soon as she saw it...she could hardly stop giggling long enough to ask me why I wrecked the card by having the sweet little owls poop out their birthday greeting!  hahahahaha
I never noticed that when I made the card but now that she has pointed it out...hahahahahaha  She then kindly told me that she loves owls so much that I can give her this card for her birthday...that she wouldn't mind the sentiment...cuz then she could show all her girlfriends and giggle some more! Sigh...

I added different sized rhinestone bling to the flower centers on the floral DP. I know that enamel dots are in vogue at the moment...but bling is what I have in my stash, so bling it is.

I have really been enjoying my 50 card challenge as I have been creating more  cards than my usual slowpoke self. Some are inky, some are coloured images, some are easy peasy, some are not! My finished cards baskets are filling up and that is a good thing (as Martha would say).

****************These are cards #23 and card 24 of 50. I went on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

Recipe:
Card Base - hand cut from my stash
DP - unknown snippets from my stash
Border - I think it is K&Co from my stash
Bling - diamonds from my stash
Ribbon - bought last summer in Whitehaven, England
Doily - Martha Stewart from my stash
3D stickers - owls and tree stickers from my stash

I am entering this card in the following challenges
1. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper
2. Artistic Inspiration - Inspired by a Song My song is Little Bird by Annie Lennox
3. Sister Act - Anything Goes
4. MFP Speedy TV Simple Salutations - use a sentiment on your card.

What...Window screens??? Card 22

Well, it is back to the cogs...This time I inked them with a variety of chalk inks in blue, green, purple, silver and black. I then wiped them with silver coloured Viva Gold. I like the overall look of this technique as the cogs look like old oxidized metal.

This time I combined the "oxidized metal"cogs with some plain black cogs. I used pop dots to raise some of them forward. I was happier with how the cogs turned out on this card. Third time lucky!
I chose a denim looking woodgrain paper for the bottom half of my background...cuz it reminded me of blue jeans. Wish I had thought to look in my mending basket and cut off a hunk of blue jeans to make a bow or a ribbon strip to run horizontally, overtop of the screen...oh well...next time, I guess!

While organizing my room, I found some hunks of window screening. I uses this on my scrapbook layouts about 15 years ago.  I remember I thought it was so cutting edge...hahahahaha

I moved it into my masculine cards drawer and you will see it resurface now and again till it is all used up.  My scraps campaign is paying off as I am noticing a small dent in my bits and bobs, and also see a slight reduction in the number of card bases and envelopes I have on hand. I have been making an effort to make both 5 1/2 inch square and 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch rectangle cards. I seem to have hundreds of the latter so may have to start making many, many more of those type.

****************This is card #22 of 50. I am on a consumables spending freeze until I have made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock are exempt).***************

Recipe
Card base and envelope -  from my stash
DP - snippet of Forever in Time black clock paper, snippet of 12x12 blue woodgrain  from my stash
Card Stock - snippets of white and black card stock for the die cuts
Dies - Spell binders Sprightly Sprockets and also S/B Petite Circles
Stamp - PSX  (the date on this stamp is 1999)
Screen - a snippet of window screen from my stash
Viva Gold - silver paste from my stash

I am entering this card in the following challenges
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper
3. The Cheerful Stamp Pad - #87 Sentiment
4. Moving Along with the Times - No image
5. A Song In Your He(ART) - Gift of Wings (I think that exploring things that are creative and move, leads to a sense of wonder)
6. Paper Issues - The World is a Circle

Flowers Galore - Card 21

In keeping with my goal to use up 365 flowers this year, I thought it was time to show another card of blooms. The flower ticker at the top of my blog is my reminder to stick to my goal, and I must say it is spurring me on to keep creating cards that showcase them.

I bought these flowers at Michael's, a short while before starting my consumables freeze. They are NBUS (never before used stash) but stash never the less. Old or new, it feels good to use up some of my flower stash. So 14 more flowers added to the ticker today!!!

The tag is from a Michael's clearance after Valentines Day. It is from a package of four tags that I found for 80% off. Now that is a sale!

I managed to use a couple of snippets (the pink hessian, the hot pink border and the kraft mat behind it) so I will popping by the playground to visit my pals at Pixies Crafty  Workshop.

Here is a bit of a side view that perhaps shows the depth of the floral bouquet. Some of the flowers are two layers deep...others just single flowers.

Recipe
Card Base and envelope - 5 1/2 inch square textured card from my stash
DP - Hip Hip Hooray AC  from my stash
Card Stock - snippet of Kraft from my stash
Fiber - snippet of hot pink hessian from my stash
Tag -  from my stash (Michael's originally)
Flowers - from my stash (Michael's originally)
Butterfly - was in the flower package from my stash

****************This is card #21 of 50. I am on a consumables spending freeze until I have made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock are exempt).***************

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper
3. Use Your Stuff - Patterned Paper #138
4. The Butterfly Challenge - Bingo; butterflies, diecuts, designer paper...this is stretching it a bit as I did not use the diecuts to create this tag...but the manufacturer did!