Enjoy You Day Gift Tag

I made this gift tag for a friend's birthday present.  I love making gift tags so am pleased to see a new challenge - Tag-along and ATCs (although I did miss their first challenge last month!).

To make this tag I used:
     Creative Expressions 'Pierced Tags' die
     Sentimentally Yours 'Magazine Box Kit #12' rose stamp and coordinating die
     Clearly Besotted 'Mini Calligraphy' stamp
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Promarkers
     Snippets of white mat card and Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum paper
     Yarn (upcycled from a tag Brenda sent me with a prize)

I attached the snippet of paper onto white card before die cutting the largest label and embossing around the edge.  I stamped the rose onto another snippet of white card and cut it with the coordinating die before colouring it with Promarkers.  I placed the tag into my MISTI and laid the rose onto it so I could see where to place the sentiment.  I removed the rose and stamped the sentiment with black ink before attaching the rose to the tag  To finish I fastened the yarn to the top of the tag.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
     Tag-Along (and ATCs) - Anything Goes
     We Love Stamping - Nature

This is my last post for a few weeks as we're heading off on our travels again tomorrow.  

Kath x

Darling Friends

I received a lovely card from Linda for the February Card Chain Challenge last year which had this cute cat in a hot air balloon and a sun.  After keeping the card for a year, I thought it was time someone else could enjoy Linda's lovely colouring so I carefully removed the hot air balloon and sun from the card to make this birthday card for my great niece.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Simon Says Stamp 'Darling Friends' images from Linda's card (Linda had coloured the images with Copics and a white gel pen and added a gem decoration)
     Impression Obsession 'Hills' and 'Clouds' dies
     Clearly Besotted 'Modern Calligraphy' stamps and coordinating dies
     Versafine Smokey Gray ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Snippets of blue and green textured card and white matt card

I trimmed the blue card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and attached it to the front of the card.  I die cut two of the hills from green card, using darker green for the background hill and a brighter green for the front hill.  These were attached to bottom of the blue panel.  I attached the hot air balloon to the front of the card using foam pads behind the balloon to give some dimension to the card.  The sun was attached to the top corner of the sky.  I die cut the small and medium clouds from white card, the medium cloud was tucked behind the hot air balloon and the small one attached above the hills.  I used grey ink to stamp the sentiment onto a snippet of white card before cutting 'happy' with the coordinating die and trimming around 'birthday'.  These were then attached to the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Krafty Chicks Challenge - Anything Goes
     Little Red Wagon - A for Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Upcycled Pengins

As always, my final Christmas card of the year is the one I've made for Steve.  Whenever he buys me a card he chooses one that he knows I'll upcycle.   Last Christmas he sent me a lovely tunnel card with cute penguins.  I've made this Christmas card for him using the image from the card but inserted the layers into a die cut frame.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' and Crafter's Companion 'Gemini Expressions - Husband' dies
     Snippet of white hammer card, thin white card and gold mirri

I cut the snippet of white hammer card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and die cut the stitched square from the centre.   As I was going to insert two layers of card into the aperture and wanted the bottom layer flush with the front of the card, I cut a snippet of thin white card so it was slightly smaller than the panel and die cut a square from the centre.  These panels were layered and attached to the centre of the card.  I die cut the snow and sky panel from the original card and inlaid it into the aperture.  I then die cut the penguin image and inlaid it into the lower section of the aperture.  To finish I die cut 'husband' from a snippet of white hammer card and the frame from gold mirri.  These were layered and attached to the lower corner of the image.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - Z for Zoo Animals (my cute penguins)
     As You Like it Challenge - Anything Christmasssy
     Cardz for Guys - Christmas Card
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Christmas
     Krafty Chicks Challenge - Christmas
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     The Male Room - Anything Goes

Kath x

Santa

This is another quick Christmas card made with an image that has been upcycled from one of last year's Chriatmas cards.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" kraft card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' and Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Season's Greetings' dies
     Snippets of dark red card

I used the stitched rectangle die to cut the front of the card, moving the die to ensure I had Santa, the rabbit and present on the die cut panel.  This panel was then layered it onto a snippet of dark red card and attached it to the card blank.  To finish I die cut the sentiment from a small snippet of dark red card and attached it to the top of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:

     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Christmas with the Cuties - Santa and/or Snowman
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Use Kraft Card

Kath x 

Christmas Cats and Dogs

I made this card for the ABC Christmas Challenge 'C for Cats and D for Dogs'.  One of my friends likes cards with cats and dogs so when I received this card at Christmas last year I kept it to upcycle into a card to send her next Christmas.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" cream hammer card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Lawn Fawn - Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Gold mirri

To make this quick card, I cut the front of the card with the largest stitched square, layered it onto gold mirri and attached it to the centre of the card blank.  

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - C for Cats & D for Dogs
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Krafty Chicks Challenge - Christmas
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Season's Greetings

As part of my thrifty crafting year I'm also upcycling as much as I can and this cute Santa card was too good to go into the recyling bin.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card   
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' and Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Season's Greetings' dies
     Snippets of silver mirri card

The original Christmas card was a large square, but I used the rectangle die to cut the top half so I could make a smaller card.  The stitched panel was layered onto silver mirri before being attached to the card blank.  To finish I die cut the sentiment from another snippet of silver mirri and attached it to the lower corner of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - A for Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x 

Upcycled Cross Stitch Card

Whilst we were away in Yorkshire I took the opportunity of visiting some charity shops and came across this lovely cross stitch design which had been made into a small picture.  The picture frame was very tatty and it was thrown into a box with lots of other 'oddments' probably soon to be finding its way to a landfill site.  It seemed a shame that someone's lovely stitching wasn't being appreciated so I bought it for .99p, removed the cross stitch from the frame and carefully washed it before making it into a card.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" cream hammer card blank
     Upcycled Cross stitch (design unknown) from charity shop
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Snippet of cream hammer card

I trimmed a piece of cream hammer card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and cut a stitched square aperture in the centre.  The fabric was trimmed and mounted behind the aperture before being attached to the front of the card blank

Kath x

Steve's birthday

We've been away for three weeks and have only been back home for a couple of weeks before our next trip tomorrow - so there has been little time for crafting.  As time is short, I used an upcycled card to make this card for Steve's birthday (the day after we head off on our travels) - the image is perfect for him as he loves the sea and beach.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Upcycled birthday card
     Clearly Besotted 'Happy Birthday All' stamps
     My Favorite Things 'Fishtail Flags' die
     Versafine Onyx Black & Olympia Green ink
     Snippets of dark green card and white hammer card

I trimmed the image, layered it onto dark green card and attached it to the card blank.  I placed the sentiment stamps into my MISTI to ensure they were straight ('to my' and 'husband' are separate stamps) and stamped them first with black ink and then with dark green ink - this made the sentiment the same dark green colour of the backing card.  I die cut the sentiment with the fishtail flag - cutting the fishtail first and then cutting it again so I could shorten the flag to the length of the sentiment.  To finish I attached the sentiment to the top of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Summertime
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Kath x

Enjoy your Day

This card is made with an upcycled birthday card - the floral image had been attached with foam pads onto a large birthday card giving a 3D effect.  I carefully removed the pretty topper to make a card for a friend's forthcoming birthday.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Upcycled birthday card
     Tattered Lace 'Mini Butterfly' die
     Snippets of dark green card, pink pearlescent card and Lili of the Valley 'Beach Bliss' paper

I trimmed the green paper, layered it onto a snippet of dark green card and attached it to the front of the card blank.  After carefully removing the topper from the original birthday card, I removed all the foam tape from the back and applied thin foam tape to attach it to the centre of the card.  To finish I die cut a small butterfly from a tiny snippet of pink pearlescent card and attached it to the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Butterfly Challenge - Spin the Wheel with the Letter T (I have used Tea Green, Thistle and Tango Pink on my card, plus my butterfly)
     Daisy Chain Challenge - Flowers
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Thank You

I made this quick 'Thank You' card to send to a friend and have used a few more snippets and an upcycled dragonfly which had been stamped onto vellum.

I attached a strip of marbled paper to a piece of dark purple card and trimmed the edges so there was a very thin strip of card on either side of the paper.  I placed the card blank into my MISTI and laid the marbled paper strip on top so I could see where to place the 'thank you' stamp.  I stamped the sentiment in purple ink, stamping a couple of times to get a good depth of colour.  After removing the card from MISTI I attached the marbled strip above the sentiment and then attached the dragonfly with a spot of glue under its body.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white hammer card blank
     Upcycled vellum dragonfly (this was on a card I received from a friend a while ago and I don't know the name of the stamp and die)
     Clearly Besotted 'Mini Calligraphy' stamp
     Versafine Imperial Purple ink
     Snippets of marbled paper and purple card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Less is More - Vellum
     
Kath x  

Upcycled Reindeer Card

This month I'm challenging myself to finish part-made cards, use bits from my snippets box and have a general tidy up of my crafting drawers.  This card uses a strip from the front of a Christmas card I received last year.  

I trimmed a strip from the front of the Christmas card, cutting on either side of the dashed lines.  I placed the card blank in my MISTI and put the strip on top so I could see here to position the sentiment stamp.  I stamped the sentiment in Satin Red ink and then stamped it again in Crimson Red so the colour matched the reindeer strip.  To finish I attached the strip above the sentiment.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Clearly Besotted 'Cheerful Christmas' sentiment stamp
     Versafine Crimson Red & Satin Red ink

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - R for Reindeer
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Reindeer
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Winter Wonderland - Reindeer

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x 

Christmas Tree and Presents

This is another card made with an upcycled image from one of the Christmas cards I received last year and was a super quick card to make.

I found a snippet of brown and gold striped paper and attached it to the front of the card leaving a small border around the edge.  The Christmas tree had been on the front of a pop-up card, so the top section was already fussy cut.  I removed it from the card and fussy cut the lower section around the presents before attaching it to the front of the card with foam tape.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Snippet of brown and gold stripe paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Winter Wonderland - Christmas Presents

Kath x  

Happy Holidays

I was looking through my drawer of cards to upcycle and came across a card with this cute Santa Claus - perfect for this weeks Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge.

I trimmed a piece of red mirri so it was slightly smaller than the card blank.  The blue scene paper was a little too big so I trimmed the left side and bottom so it was slightly smaller than the mirri layer.  I placed the paper into my MISTI and stamped the sentiment in the lower corner with red ink before embossing it with clear embossing powder.  I layered the paper onto the mirri and attached it to the card.  Santa was already fussy cut as he had been attached with a foam pad to the original Christmas card.  The paper also had some trees on the left side, so I positioned Santa so he covered the trees and looked like he was walking down the hill.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Versafine Satin Red ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail Embossing Powder
     Paper Discovery paper (from a Papercraft Society Box)
     Snippet of red mirri card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Santa Claus
     Happy Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Have a Gorgeous Day

I was lucky to win one of the prizes in the Snippet's Playground Grand Draw (two lovely Uniko stamp sets).  Di sent pretty notecards with the prizes and challenged the winners to upcycle the front of the card. 

As the card is so pretty I didn't want to cut away too much, so just trimmed the edges. I stamped the sentiment (Lil'inker Designs 'Modern Mehndi) in the lower corner with Versafine Deep Lagoon ink.  It looked a bit too dark to match the turquoise matt layer so I stamped over the top with Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue ink.  As the ink wasn't drying well I was about to sprinkle it with embossing powder when disaster struck and I smudged it!   So out came my Tombow Sand Eraser (a prize a few years ago in the Snippets Playground) and I managed to remove the smudge, dabbed the missing inky section with a Versamark pen and then embossed it with clear embossing powder.  To finish I layered the panel onto the turquoise pearlescent card before attaching it to the card blank.

Thank you Di for the pretty card and the sand eraser!

Kath x

November Rudolph Day

For various reasons I've missed most of the Rudolph Day challenges this year, but thought I must make an effort to join in with the final challenge of the year.  My theme for this year's Rudolph Day cards is 'Upcycling' so I've used the front of a card I received last year to make this super quick card.

I die cut the front of the card, layered it onto a snippet of gold mirri and attached it to the front of the card blank.  This card was so quick to make it felt like I'm cheating!

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Square STAX Die-namics' die
     Snippet of gold mirri card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day Challenge - November challenge

Kath x

Chocolate Box Christmas Tree

I missed last month's Rudolph Day as we were away in our campervan, but have made a quick upcycled card (upcycling is my theme this year) for this month's challenge.  This card is made with the patterned card from the top of a box of Waitrose chocolates.

I trimmed the purple and gold card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and attached it to the front.  I trimmed a piece of white hammer card and die cut the Christmas tree from the centre - setting it aside as I wanted to use the leaves.  The panel was trimmed and attached to the card.  I die cut the Christmas tree from the purple and gold card before inlaying both the tree and white leaves.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Sizzix 'Trees, Leafy' die
     Upcycled Waitrose chocolate box
     White hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - July challenge

Kath x

May Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day - I can't believe that another month has flown by.  My Rudolph Day theme this year is 'Upcycling' so this is another card with an upcycled image from a Christmas card I received last year and a gold frame made from an old birthday card.

The Christmas card had got three angels on the front and I used a stitched rectangle die to cut this angel from the left side (I also cut the angel from the right of the card to make another Christmas card). The gold die cut stitched frame was from an old birthday card.  The frame was attached to the card and the angel topper inlaid into it.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white hammer card blank
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Upcycled Christmas card and birthday card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - May Challenge

Kath x

April Rudolph Day

It's time for the fourth Rudolph Day challenge of the year - I can't believe how quickly time is flying by.  As my RD theme this year is 'Upcycling' I've used a tiny Rudolph image and some red shiny card that have been upcycled from two Christmas cards.

I die cut the Rudolph image with a stitched die and then layered it onto a shiny red square that had been die cut and embossed around the edge.  The tiny topper was then attached to the centre of the card.

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' and Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Squares Large' dies
     Kars tan embossing mat
     Tiny Rudolph image and shiny red card (upcycled from two Christmas cards)

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Fezzwig's Festive Frolics - Oh Deer
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - April challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day Challenge - April challenge

Kath x  

March Rudolph Day

It's time for the third Rudolph Day of the year and another upcycled card.  I didn't receive this lovely card - I came across it in our communal recycling bin and thought it would be perfect for upcyling as it's such a good quality card and the sky background is even more beautiful than in the photograph.  I feel like I've cheated with this one as it was a very simple make.

To make this super quick card I trimmed around the front of the card as it was much larger than the front of my card blank, layered it onto gold mirri card and attached it to the card front.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Snippet of gold mirri card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - March Challenge

Kath x

February Rudolph Day

It's time for the second Rudolph Day of the year.  My theme for Rudolph Day cards this year is 'Upcyled' and this card uses gold foil chocolate wrappers and the front off a notecard.

I trimmed a piece of white card so it was smaller than the front of the card blank and die cut JOY from the centre.  I rounded the corners of the panel and attached it to the card blank.  I flattened the chocolate wrappers and wiped the back to remove any chocolate crumbs and then crinkled them so they were slightly larger than each letter.  I used my brayer to flatten them before gluing them to a scrap of paper.  Once the glue had dried I die cut the letters and inlaid them into the card.  I removed a small topper from the front of the notecard and placed the fancy JOY die so I could incorporate some of the lovely gold spots on the bright green card.  I die cut the fancy JOY and attached it over the gold letters.

To make this card I used:
     5.75" x 4.25in white hammer card blank
     Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Joy' die
     Upcycled gold foil (Ferrero Rocher chocolate wrappers) and green watercolour card (from the front of a notecard)
     Snippet of white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Use Some Gold
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - February Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day Challenge - February Challenge
     Winter Wonderland - Anything Goes Tribute Challenge

Kath x