Brenda's Challenge Card

Good Morning Ladies,

I hope that you all got through those strong winds without any damage yesterday, Paul had to recover the cabbages a couple of times as the fleece worked its way free, apart from that we were ok, I got two loads of washing dry too, which was a real bonus, I can tell you that I had serious doubt as I was pegging it on the line as the clouds were so dark, we must have been on the edge of it though as we didn't get any rain.

I didn't get much done yesterday, as you all predicted and I expected I was very sore, it was worth it though to see Mum's face, she loved it when we all sang Happy Birthday to her, she loved all her gifts too.  Bless her she really looks like she had aged this past couple of months.  She must have asked all of us for the same gifts as we all bought her elasticated waist trousers, I bought black linen ones and a lovely white t-shirt, my sisters got her the soft cotton ones that look a bit like pyjama bottoms, lovely patterns though, I think they are super comfy, Mum obviously does too, she had a lovely pile of new clothes.  We didn't stay too late as mum looked exhausted, I think she was a little overwhelmed, going from seeing nobody to having a house full was a lot to deal with for her I think.  I think we were all on edge as none of us had been in a group of people from different homes before, we took every precaution we could though.

Today's card is Brenda's Challenge card, I didn't get it downloaded in time to add it on Sunday so I am sharing it today.  

Such a lovely card Brenda, perfect for so many occasions too, from Weddings to Exam Congratulation's and many other in between!  The die set that Brenda has used for this card is John Next Door's Additions Die collection ...

I have added a picture of the die set as some of you might be interested in buying it, I love the fact that is has so much added detail including the words that Brenda has used, it adds so much fun to the card too.

Brenda's card would work well for our next challenge too with that lovely embossed background. The folder works brilliantly with that die set too Brenda.

Thank you so much Brenda for taking part in the challenge and for sharing such a lovely challenge card XXX

I am off for a Blood Test this morning so I need to put my 'Big Girl' pants on, I absolutely hate blood tests, (i know nobody loves them) I am going to try having a sweet drink before I go this time as thats what the nurse suggested last time, because I don't like to part with my blood! Not sure what sweet drink I will have though as I hate sugar in tea, may have a hot chocolate or a latte.  

I hope that you all have a lovely day,

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra

xxxxxx

My first Textured Background Challenge card

Good Morning Ladies  

I hope that you all had a lovely weekend, the weather wasn't the best but sometimes it's nice just to rest and have a weekend off  of gardening jobs.

We went to Mum's yesterday,  I will update you on that on tomorrow's blog, as I am writing this post on the way to Mum's house.

To create the 'Textured ' Background for this card I took a piece of Green Coloured Core card abd ran it through that Christmas Embossing Folder, the next step was to take a piece of sand paper and gently remove some of the top layer of the Embossed areas, revealing the white core. To embellish the card I die cut two ovals,  one scalloped one plain, I layered them and placed on my card front. I added a die cut Pine Cone and Fir sprigs from  SU Pretty Pines die set.

Ro finish the card I stamped a sentiment and added a red bow. I'm  quite pleased with how it turned out.

I think we all under value our embossing folders a bit, they make great backgrounds. 

I hope that you all have a lovely day, 

Love and hugs to all,

Sandra

xxxxxx 

Your Challenge Cards

Brenda 

Sonia

Janet

Karen

Lilian 

Maria

Michele 

Your Challenge Cards

Good Morning Ladies,

Bit of a weather change eh?! I can't say that I was disappointed, for two reasons really, the obvious one is that is was so much more comfortable to move around, the second reason was that the rain meant we didn't have to spend the best part of an hour watering the garden.  Hopefully our 5 water butts might start to refill too, I feel so conscious of every watering can we use, imagining that water meter whizzing round!

Let's have a look at your amazing 'Shaped' Challenge cards.........

Sonia

Such a beautiful card from Sonia, using Hexagons as her shape for this challenge, I really love those papers every time you use them Sonia. 

Sonia's Description:

Here is my challenge card:
I used Sue Wilson’s Holly Octagonal Frame, cutting 3 octagons from Anna Marie Designs papers, and adhered to a strip of paper. I die cut the ‘honeycomb’ die twice and placed behind the octagons. I finished it off with a Tim Holtz butterfly and sentiment from LOTV.

Thank you so much Sonia for another of your stunning challenge cards XXX

Cheryl

A lovely modern design from Cheryl for this weeks challenge, using Rectangles to create this lovely Christmas card, I really love the colour.

Thank you so much for taking part in this weeks challenge Cheryl XXX

Michele 

Michele as had a productive week in her craft room, look at these gorgeous cards, two lovely christmas cards and a pretty any occasion card. That die you bought might be an older one Michele but its beautiful!

Michele's Description:

3 challenge cards from me. First one is using up papers from a very old issue of Making Cards magazine-background paper cut into 4 squares then a Diecut circle/scalloped edge circle for the topper. Card No 2 is the Grate effects Spellbinders die cut out twice & I used the positive + negative parts. Card No 3 is an A5 card cut into a triangle with 2 colours as toppers plus a Diecut Spellbinders Christmas tree. Ribbon & a Diecut sentiment plus some bling!

Thanks so much Michele for 3 amazing challenge cards XXX

Karen

I love the style of this Challenge card that you have designed Karen, it has a real 'Tracy' feel about it, it would be lovely framed or attached to a canvas.  Such an amazing design !

Karen's Description:

Here’s a cc for you

I decided on circle 

I found a piece of blueish background paper that I didn’t particularly like and did the gesso technique using Lotza Dots

I used Broken China DO and stamped background #304 - which almost matched the background I added some circle highlights 

I stamped a Woodware stamp on top and coloured parts with an Inktense pencil

I found a stamp set from CraftiPotential for the sentiment

Thanks so much Karen for an amazing challenge card XXX

Janet

Janet has made an incredible 3 cards for this weeks challenge, using 2 ovals and a diamond as the challenge shape. Your first card is so pretty Janet, that paper is just beautiful, the second card has a really strong and positive statement, great for someone that has been struggling.  I love how you have die cut and rotated the focal piece for your third card, I love that colour too.

Janet's Description:

For my first and second card I used the same die. It is Phill Martins Oval die.I cut the first card making the complete shape of the card and then for my second card I used the die cutting into the front of the card. The stamping is also Phill Martin's stamps and the flowers etc are from my stash.

For my third card I used a Tonic die again cutting into the front of the card for the shape. I used the inside of the  cut away for the inside of the card. The flowers are LABLANCHE and the coloured card is TONIC

Thanks so much for three amazing challenge cards Janet XXX

Lilian 

Lilian has used a stencil and inks to create that lovely background for her challenge card, she has then die cut a black scalloped circle upon which a beautiful fussy cut bouquet of roses is displayed, the flowers are from Lilian's new Stamperia collection. Adding the black mat really makes the whole card come to life Lilian.

Thank you so much for such a lovely Challenge card XXX

Maria

Maria has made two fantastic cards for us for this weeks shape challenge.  The first card uses Spellbinders Square Label die cuts to create a lovely pattern in shades of green, I love that sentiment Maria!

Maria's second card uses Circle dies to create the background for the lovely SU Happy Birthday and letters. 

Thanks so much Maria for two fantastic challenge cards. XXX

**************************

Thank you so much ladies for all of your hard work, your cards are amazing, I really appreciate the time you took to make them especially in the incredibly uncomfortable heat this week xxxx

I hope that you all have a lovely Sunday,

Love and hugs to all of you.

Sandra

xxxxxxx

Mixed Up Saturday

Sue

Michele

Karen

Good Morning Ladies,

Well we were supposed to be visiting my Mum today but sadly the weather put pay to that, it's forecast rain all day so we wouldn't be able to sit outside. I know that Mum would say 'it's fine just come inside'' but it's just not worth the risk, she is extremely vulnerable having chronic COPD, so if she were to contract Covid 19 it's unlikely she would come out the other side.  She will tell you that she is fine however and has understandably found the isolation very hard, especially not being able to hear.  Frustratingly with Paul and the girls going out to work and mixing with other people which increases the risk I just want to take every precaution I can, so if the weather is not forecast to be fine Sunday that will be off too, if it was a case of just 'popping round' for a visit we could work around the weather but I am not risking driving 320 mile round trip for nothing.  Luckily I posted her birthday cards on Wednesday after seeing the weather could change. 

I have added a couple more inspiration cards for you today, the cards all use different backgrounds, Sue has used embossing folders and pearls, Michele has used gilding flakes and die cuts and Karen has used pixie powders (i think) and a die cut.

I hope these lovely cards from past challenges help inspire some of you xxx

Michele's Magazine Review 

Hi Sandra

Diecutting Essentials has a lovely free gift this month as shown below.

Here’s some ideas of what’s inside the magazine.

First feature using the free gift showing a variety of cards to make.

Second feature using the free gift-this time it’s bags + boxes etc.

Great article explaining how to do Diecutting “off the page”

Shaker cards with a difference-using Tulle instead of acetate.

Great article reminding us that we can use our Dies to create stamps-making a matching set and allowing you to get more use out of your Dies.

Perfect article for this weeks challenge!

Part two of the Geometric design article.

That’s all for this week so
Happy Crafting

Love Michele

Ooh Michele, I really love the free die and all of the inspiration projects in this months issue of Die-cutting Essentials.  There are some lovely features in this issue too, I love the idea of using Tulle to make shaker card, so feminine and would give a softer effect.

The off the edge die cutting is a cool idea too.

Might have to buy this one I think! 

Thanks so much Michele for a fantastic review xxx

I hope that you all have a lovely weekend my lovelies,

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra

xxxxxxx

Your Next Challenge

 

Good Friday Morning Ladies,

Here we are at the start of another weekend, it's been a hell of a week for some of you your homes have been in chaos, having new kitchens or heating systems, some of you have had a rough week at work, some it's health thats been making the week harder.  We all have our own chaos going on, yet if anyone asks we say 'Yes I'm fine' !! We all do it don't we?! Mostly because it's easier to say that than to explain everything, you also think that the person asking wouldn't really want to hear about your problems!  

This is the one reason that I am so thankful that I started this blog, I know that the amazing friends, well family actually, that I have grown do all actually want to hear how your day is REALLY going and they really do care.  I could never have dreamed that I would be lucky enough to grow such a kind and caring family from posting a crafting blog each day.  I vowed to blog every single day and there have been a couple of days that I almost didn't but I am so glad that I found the motivation to write those blogs, for all of you if nothing else. 

Your Next Challenge

In case you didn't guess from the cards above, I would like you to make Christmas cards for this weeks challenge, you can use any method you choose, if you can manage to make two that would be even better.  I would to see glitter and sparkle and all things Festive. 

I hope you enjoy the challenge Ladies xxx

I hope that you are all looking forward to the weekend. 

Have a lovely day everyone, 

Love and hugs to all,

Sandra

xxxxxx

Your Next Challenge

Good Morning Ladies,

I hope that you all coped with that intense heat yesterday , it was almost unbearable, I hadn't realised but before Paul left he said ''all you have to is switch it to 2'', I looked at him a bit odd and he said 'Happy Crafting'.  So I waved him off, from inside the front door as the slabs outside the front door were too hot to stand on, it literally burned my feet, (I know I should wear shoes)!
Anyway I went straight into my craft room to find that he had closed the curtains and blinds and opened the windows and had set fans up so that they were directed toward me but not at my desk so nothing flew off, he's definitely a keeper!

Your Next Challenge

For our next challenge I would like you to create cards or projects with a 'Textured Background"

I don't mind if you want to make 3D projects, book marks, tags etc.

To create these Textured Backgrounds you can use:

Embossing Folders

Embossing Powders

You could use the Emboss Resist Technique 

Masks and stencils with different mediums 

Glitter/Glass Beads (micro beads)

Die cuts

lace

Hessian

Or anything that you can think of, my mind went blank.

Just type in 'Cards with Textured Background' there are some fantastic cards on there.

I have added some inspiration for you above, the first two were Brenda's cards, third card is Janet's, fourth is Maria's, the last two are Lynda's, they have all used different things to create a textured background if you zoom in you can see them.

I hope that you have a comfortable day today,

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra

xxxxxx