Hello & Card Chain Challenge Blog Hop

The Card Chain Challenge is a simple idea - sign up and send a handmade card to the person above you on the list and receive one from the person who signed up after you.  Each month there is a Colour Option, Sketch Option, Theme Option or Product/Technique Option - the card has to be made using at least one of the options. 

Gail, who runs the CCC had decided to have a celebration when 3,000 people had signed up for the challenge and last month I was the 3,000 person to sign up! To celebrate Gail and Jo are running a blog hop from today until 28 June - all the details can be found on the Card Chain Challenge May Reveal post - there will be lots of prizes for people who leave comments. There will also be some games on the CCC blog during June, so keep popping back and have a look - there will be prizes for the games too!  All winners will be announced at the end of June and there will be a few extra prizes as everyone loves happy mail in these difficult times.

This is the card I made to send to Linda in Michigan for the May Challenge using the Colour Option (Raspberry, Rose & Cream) and the Theme Option (Repeat).  Linda is the next person on the blog hop - so why not pop over to see her card.

I die cut the flowers (using a die that I've had for ages and never used) from raspberry, rose and cream textured card and set them aside.  I stamped 'hello' in the lower corner of the card and then laid one of the flowers onto the card so I could see where to emboss the two lines - one above and one below the flowers.  I embossed the lines and then attached the flowers to the card.  To finish I added a Wink of Stella to the flower centres.

To make this card I used:
     DL white matt card blank
     Creative Dies 'Flower' die
     Ultimate Crafts ''L'aquarelle Designs' stamps
     Brilliance Orchid ink
     Snippets of raspberry, rose and cream textured card
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     NBUS - Challenge 15
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 379

This is the lovely card that Dee in Kenya has sent me:

Kath x

Happy Birthday

I made this card for the Less is More 'Sketch' challenge.  I'm also entering the Allsorts 'Make it Masculine' challenge, the Seize the Birthday 'Anything Goes' challenge and Crafty Creations 'Anything Goes' challenge.

7" x 5" white matt card blank
Lawn Fawn 'Scripty Happy' die
Ultimate Crafts L'aquarelle Designs sentiment stamp
Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
Brown matt card
Lili of the Valley 'Country Gent' paper
Wink of Stella

I cut a 2" wide strip of paper and following the sketch I cut this into two triangles before attaching them to the card blank. As the brown card was quite thin,  I die cut Happy twice and glued them together before laying them onto the card.  At his stage I didn't glue them to the card as I used my MISTI to line up the sentiment (the actual sentiment read 'It's your Birthday' but I cut it in half so I as I didn't have another birthday stamp of the right size!).  I removed the die cut, stamped the sentiment and then glued the die cut into place.  To finish I outlined the stamped sentiment with a Wink of Stella.

Kath x

Floral Display

I made the card to send to a friend with a small gift and am entering the Less is More 'One Layer - Florals' challenge, Crafty Cardmakers 'Autumn Colours' challenge, The Flower Challenge 'Anything Goes' and A Gem of a Challenge 'One for the Girls/Ladies'.

Card blank: 6" x 4" white matt
Stamps: Hobby Art 'Floral Display' and Ultimate Crafts 'Hello' (magazine freebie)
Ink: Versafine 'Vintage Sepia'
Colouring: Faber-Castell Colour Grip Pencils

I stamped the Floral Display on the left side of the card and then used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment on the lower edge of the card.  I coloured the flowers with my Faber-Castell pencils and then used a small damp paintbrush to blend the colours.

Kath x

Butterfly Tag

I made this tag for my sister's birthday present and am entering the Allsorts 'Tags' challenge, the Die-Cut Divas 'Anything But a Card' challenge and Die Cuttin' Divas 'Anything Goes' challenge. The paper, card and ribbon are from my snippets drawer to I'm also heading into the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Stamp: Ultimate Crafts (magazine freebie)
Dies: Creative Expressions 'Pierced Tags', Memory Box 'Pippi Butterfly'
Embossing: Kars tan embossing mat
Ink: Versafine Imperial Purple
Colouring: Purple Promarker
Other: Wink of Stella
Snippets: Cream and purple pearlescent card, Lili of the Valley 'Baskets & Bunnies' paper, white ribbon

I attached a snippet of paper onto cream card before die cutting and embossing the largest tag.  I stamped the sentiment on the lower edge and highlighted it with a Wink of Stella.  I die cut the butterflies and attached them above the sentiment.  To finish I coloured a snippet of white ribbon with a purple Promarker and attached it to the top of the tag.

Kath x

Walking the Plank

We're back from our holiday and I'm trying to catch up with my August crafting.  I made this card for my youngest great-nephew's birthday and am entering the Seize the Birthday 'Stripes' challenge.

Card blank: 6" x 6" white matt
Image: Lili of the Valley 'Walking the Plank' Mini Masterpiece
Stamp: Ultimate Crafts
Die: Memory Box 'Classic Numbers'
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia
Card: Brown matt
Paper: Lili of the Valley 'Candles and Cake'
Other: Wink of Stella

I trimmed the striped paper into a square, layered it onto brown card and attached it to the card blank.  I trimmed the pre-coloured image before layering it onto brown card and attaching it to the card front.  I attached a die cut '2' and stamped 'Today' at the top corner before highlighting the image with a Wink of Stella.

Kath x

Fairy with Present

I made this quick card for a young friend who likes fairies and anything pink.  I'm entering the first challenge at Back to Basics and Beyond 'Matting and Layering' and the Seize the Birthday 'Anything Goes' challenge.

Card blank: 6"  6" white matt
Image: Lili of the Valley 'Fairy with Present'
Stamp: Ultimate Crafts L'aquarelle Designs 'Sentiments' (magazine freebie)
Die: Memory Box 'Classic Numbers'
Ink: Brilliance Pearlescent Orchid
Card: Cerise matt
Paper: Wild Rose Studio 'Bella'
Other: Wink of Stella

I trimmed the parcel paper, layered it onto cerise card and attached it to the card front.  I trimmed the precoloured topper, and die cut the '6' from the bottom corner.  I used the 'Today' that I had previously cut from a larger stamp and using my MISTI I stamped it at the side of the die cut '6'.  This panel was layered onto cerise card and attached to the centre of the card.  I die cut '6' from cerise card and inlaid it into the topper.  To finish I highlighted the fairy with a Wink of Stella.

Kath x

Magical Fairy

I made this card for my great-niece's 5th birthday.  I'm entering the Cutie Pie Challenge 'Spring Cuties', Seize the Birthday 'Anything Goes' challenge and Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge 'Anything Goes'. As the paper and card are from my snippets mountain I'm also heading into the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Card blank: 6" x 6" white matt
Image: Lili of the Valley 'Magical Fairies' Art Pad
Stamp: Ultimate Crafts L'aquarelle Designs 'Sentiment'
Die: Memory Box 'Classic Numbers', Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Wonky Rectangles'
Embossing: Kars tan embossing mat
Ink: Versafine Deep Lagoon, Brilliance Pearlescent Purple
Snippets: Making Cards 'Springtime' paper (magazine freebie), white card
Other: Wink of Stella

I trimmed the purple paper to a square.  As it was a snippet there was a chunk missing from one of the corners but I cut the largest square I could and then attached it to the card front.  To hide the missing corner, I cut four triangles from a co-ordinating striped paper and attached them to the corners of the purple paper.  I die cut and embossed the precoloured Art Pad image and die cut the number from the lower edge.  The 'Today' stamp was part of a larger sentiment and I carefully cut the word away from the rest of the stamp (it can easily be pieced back together if I want to use the whole sentiment).  I didn't have the right colour ink, so using my MISTI I stamped 'Today' once in Deep Lagoon and a couple of times in Pearlescent Purple to give the colour I wanted to match the backing paper.  I die cut two smaller wonky rectangles from snippets of white card and attached them to the back of the image before attaching it to the card.  I attached another small snippet of purple paper onto white card, die cut the number '5' and inlaid it into the topper.  To finish I highlighted the fairy with a Wink of Stella.

Kath x

Twofer Hearts

It's time for the second Twofer Card Challenge and this month the challenge is 'Hearts'.  I've used my Impression Obsession 'Heart of Hearts' die to make an anniversary card and a birthday card.

Onefer - Happy Anniversary

I'm also entering the Die cut Divas 'Love is in the Air' and Crafty Cardmakers 'Love and Romance' challenges. I'm also dashing across to the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop with my snippets.

Card blank: 6" x 6" white hammer
Stamp: Hobby Art 'General Greetings'
Die: Impression Obsession 'Heart of Hearts'
Ink: Versafine Crimson Red
Snippets: White hammer, red pearlescent and red mirri card

I die cut the Heart of Hearts from white hammer card and set aside the small hearts for my Twofer card.  I trimmed the card and stamped the greeting below the heart.  This panel was then layered onto red pearlescent card.  I die cut the heart from snippets of red pearlescent and red mirri card and inlaid the small hearts.  I placed a piece of paper over the panel before running it through my Cuttlebug to make sure the inlaid hearts were flat and then attached the panel to the card front.

Twofer - Another Year Flies By

I made this birthday card using the hearts I had set aside from my Onfer card.  I'm entering the Butterfly Challenge 'Spin the Butterfly Wheel with the Letter P' (I have chosen Purple and Patterned Paper) and the Cuttlebug Mania 'Colour Challenge' (I have chosen Purple, Lilac and White),

Card blank: 6" x 6" white hammer
Stamp: Ultimate Crafts 'Another Year Flies By' (magazine freebie)
Dies: Impression Obsession 'Heart of Hearts', Memory Box Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large & Classic Scalloped Circles Large
Embossing: Kars tan embossing mat
Ink: Versafine Imperial Purple
Card: Purple pearlescent

Paper: Lili of the Valley 'Timeless Victorian' 
Other: Wink of Stella

I glued the hearts around the edge of the card front (I noticed there was a smudge of glue by one of the hearts and used the Sand Eraser I won from Di to remove it - it worked a treat and there's no sign of the mark).  I die cut and embossed a circle from a snippet of purple paper and using my MISTI I stamped the sentiment on the paler part of the paper.  This was layered onto a die cut and embossed purple scalloped circle and then attached to the centre of the card with foam tape.  I die cut a Kaleidoscope butterfly from purple card and attached it to the top of the circle.  To finish I highlighted the sentiment with a Wink of Stella.

Kath x