A Recycled Christmas.

This year I am determined not to leave my Christmas cards until the last minute (like how many other years?) so I am doing Christmas Challenges through the year to keep me motivated.

The first challenge I am entering is an Up-cycled/Recycled/Free Christmas Card Challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge.

The second challenge at Laineys Crafty Space - Christmas Fun is Anything Goes!  As long as it is a Christmas Card.

The third challenge at Challenges 4 everyone is Anything Goes as well.

The fourth challenge at Card Makin' Mamas is also Anything Goes!

Ok so on with the card... the challenge to recycle/up-cycle... the boys had rescued some Christmas cards a few years ago that someone was throwing out!  (Yes perfectly good cards - not even written in!)

• So I cut out Santa... completely on one (very fiddly!), then on the second one I cut the sack, hand, cuff, coat bottom ruffle and Santa's head!  Mounted them all on foam to give the image some depth.  Next B handed me the Christmas Tree card (even more fiddly lol) and so I cut that. 
• I then scored some white card to make a box shape on the front of the card (Thank you Ultimate Crafters Companions score board.. soooo easy!).  
• My lovely Silhouette Cameo next was employed to cut the window out of black card.  
• I scored in some detail and mounted with both foam and tape to give dimension.  
• I then manually cut the "window"out of the front panel of the "box".  
• I hand measured and cut a front panel then embossed it in my Cuttlebug using a Sizzix - Tim Holtz embossing folder to give a brick effect.  
• The window got a backing of recycled embossing folder packaging as the window. (Which made taking photos a nightmare as I have a white iphone lol)
• So on the front of the "box" I put the brick panel then the window on using double sided tape.
• I mounted some nice "wall paper" from my stash, added a stamped Chandelier and heat embossed with gold.
• Santa and the tree then made themselves at home in the room with some handy-dandy double sided and foam.
• I sealed the box then made and mounted a card and double sided it on the back.
• The finishing touch some glue and Flower Soft "Polar Soft" - and if you are going to use this... TURN OFF THE FAN *chuckle*  Snow in Western Australia.. who would have thought?!?

 

Happy Crafting *Hugs* Sarah

Mad May!

G'day!  Well it is usually only March Madness that is a little frenzied... but May has become just as busy... May 12th is My Nieces 21st Birthday, Mother's Day and I will have been married to my dear Husband for 12 years too... I do NOT know how he has put up with me for that long!

So I have been busy between all the school holiday activities and finally with School going back today I got time to finish most things!

21st Birthday...

I made this "book" card using a cut file made by Amanda Davis... Absolutely gorgeous design and then topped it off with a flourish I found on Silhouette store and the most important words :-)

A few ribbon flowers for decoration and a butterfly as I remember being in my vege garden with a 6 year old Shauni watching butterflies and pulling weeds... Okay now I feel very old!





The all important box made using my Ultimate Crafters Companion and Cuttlebug... the "tag" is embossed with "Antique Keys" by Darice.

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Ok I will write another card for the Mother's Day cards and gifts so the load time is quick so click on the next one :-)

Happy Crafting

Sarah

How to emboss a strip using a Cuttlebug

It has been busy here but I finally finished the next set of cards... more wedding cards!  While I was in the craft room I have been taking lots of photos as quite a few people have asked questions about how to make the "gap" in the embossing... so pictures I think are a little less confusing... I hope this helps :-)

 The six wedding cards I finally finished today with the help of my Cuttlebug and Silhouette Cameo... for details please visit my previous post "Wedding Card".

This post will hopefully clear up the method of the "gap"... so here we go...

 Start with the front panel that you would like embossed.  Be sure your card is good quality as if it is too thin you will break through while embossing.  I know I am stating the obvious but the whole idea of this blog is to pass on knowledge I have learned from some very crafty people on and off line ;-)

Pop your card in the embossing folder lining it up with the top/side of your folder as you want it to be embossed.  The sandwich here is A plate, B plate, embossing folder and card, B plate.  NOTE the position of the B plate, I sit it behind the edge of the embossing folder or you get a line where the edge of your embossing folder is on your cardstock.

This gives you the larger section embossed... then to get the strip of embossing I use a strip of self healing mat.  I use double sided tape to stick it to the folder so that it does not move while embossing.  You can use a strip or any other shape but it will not show detailed shapes well so keep it simple :-)  You can even make diagonal lines if that is what you need!
If you like you can do a whole folder with strips and gaps all the way down...

 

Cuttlebug Sandwich is A plate, B plate embossing folder with cardstock lined up as needed, self healing mat.
NOTE there is NO second B plate!  As always you do this at your own risk, it works in my machine, I have heard it works in other peoples machines but if you do this YOU choose to do this. ;-)

 

This gives an embossed strip which you might be happy with but I like to finish it with embossed lines.

Turn the cardstock over so that you are on the debossed side.  Line up the edges of the embossing with a line on an embossing board and use the embossing tool to make the lines needed.

Turn the cardstock back over and see if there is any embossing "over the line", if there is just use your embossing tool to gently push it back into place...

There you have it!

I hope this clears up how to get the embossed strips... happy crafting...
Sarah *hugs*

Whimsical 2...

Today we are celebrating a neighbours second birthday... so we made a card but I apologise for the terrible photo... I will try and get a better one later if the card survives Miss 2!

Background paper: "Birthday Brights collection" from the Australian Simply Cards Magazine.
Stamp: "Wee love you bunches."  by Whimsy stamps.  Coloured with my Faber Castell Pencils.
Stampin' Up Flower punch for the sunflowers with a 1.7cm circle of Chocolate box Core-dinations for the centre.
Embossing:  Flower centres were embossed using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots and Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Pocketwatches folders.
Silhouette Cameo cuts:  The mat is "Scalloped Label" and the Banner is "Banner 2".
Font: Zapfino with pink glitter sketch pen.
Ink: Memento Rhubarb Stalk Dye ink.  The banner, Mat and Sunflowers are all softened with a daubing of the ink.  The yellow/orange print paper needed a little un-brightening lol.

Hope you liked it... Happy Crafting...
Sarah x

Wedding Card

Well my Nephew is getting married and I am gaining a Niece.... very exciting :-)  So to celebrate a wonderful young lady joining our family I made a card... I know... fancy that!

The background is a Cuttlebug Folder "Victoria" which was rolled through with the top B plate just on the edge of the folder so there isn't a folder mark left on the cardstock then I used the same folder with just a strip of self healing mat instead of the top B plate to get the stripe then simply used the Crafters Companion Ultimate Pro and embossing tool to make the lines.

The heart is Design ID #1292 from the Silhouette store called "Wedding Cameo" which I think is quite beautiful.  The frame is also cut on the Silhouette Cameo and Congratulations is sketched in the font Edwardian Script.

Hope you like it... Sarah x

Happy Easter!

Well today I am celebrating my Birthday and my dearest Husband and Sons got me a Silhouette Cameo (Ok so it arrived early and I already had a little play but today is official!) and my Mum, Alan and a dear friend Sam sent me gift vouchers that enabled me to get the sketch pens and another mat for the Cameo (which is probably a good job since my whoops earlier on nearly cut clear through it!).  So really big Thank You's to everyone :-)

Anyways I decided since I am banned from housework today that I would make the boys some Easter Cards with the Silhouette Freebies which was "Happy Easter", a Bunny and a Chick.  So I cut the sentiments and images on the silhouette then embossed a panel on my Cuttlebug (yes I still love my CB!) with the Spots and Dots embossing folder.  Then used the sketch pen in the Silhouette to do a nice inside (since the boys complain they can't read my writing hehe)... and bobs your uncle... have a wonderful Easter everyone...

The Fronts

And the insides

Happy Easter Everyone!

Double Monica.

This one is a little less cheesy…. Only a little though :-)

This is an entry into Simon Says Stamp Challenge for Simon Says… Choose a Sketch! 

This is also an entry into House Mouse “It's Ribbons & Pearls for Mousey Challenge #HMFMC140”

The stamps are both of Monica from House Mouse… the first is ”Hooray” and the second “Monica’s Gift” which again combined adorably here… They were coloured using Faber Castell Pencils.  The edges were inked on everything using Memento Dye ink Dew Drops in Cantaloupe.  The corners got chomped by We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper 1/4".

Now all the squares I cut using my Cameo as I need to practice how to use it… it also meant the squares were square!

The yellow panel was embossed using the Cuttlebug with Spots and Dots… The patterned paper came in a magazine called Australian Simply Cards… it was from NitWits and is “The Never Not collection”.  I thought it rather went well with the buff cardstock from my stash. J

The ribbons and pearls again came from my stash and were a nice way to finish this project. 

Anyway that’s it from me for now… Happy crafting,

*hugs*  Sarah x

If you like this card you may also like "Something Cheesy!"

Something Cheesy!

Well I do love House Mouse stamps… they are so cute!  Today’s make is no exception… House Mouse has a Challenge on: Ribbon and Pearls for Mousey Challenge #HMFMC140.  Now that’s quite and ask with the stamps I actually have of theirs but the boys and I came up with a fun way to use them… if not a bit cheesy!

What do you think?  I still think it needs something…

The stamps are both of Monica from House Mouse… the first is ”Hooray” and the second “Monica’s Gift”  which combined adorably here… They were coloured using Faber Castell Pencils.  The edges were inked on everything using Memento Dye ink Dew Drops in both Dandelion and Cantaloupe.  All corners got chomped by We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper 1/4".

The background blue is core’dinations run through the Cuttlebug with the folder Spots and Dots then sanded.  The top design is mounted onto Yellow Core-dinations which has cheese holes punched in with the crop-a-dile then sanded the edges.

Ok the cheese… yep craft foam… yellow and orange layered and holes punched in the yellow before layering with the Crop-a-dile… then glued together and inked in the above mentioned shades.  Happy Birthday ribbon tied and stuck on… then mounted.

Lastly the pearls were sponged with Dandelion and Cantaloupe ink to blend them with the card colours.. and that’s all folks J

Happy Crafting

Sarah x

If you like this card, you make also like Double Monica.

Morocco anyone?

G’day again,

Firstly excuse my absence… a migraine came to visit… hopefully it will go away soon!

Secondly… I am soooo excited… my Birthday Present arrived early… my dear Husband and boys got me a Silhouette Cameo J  Which incidentally has meant a complete re-arrange of my desk again!

Now I have managed a whole ONE card in the last few days; it’s an entry into the challenge from Our Creative Corner with a photo inspiration (below) and it must have a metal embellishment.

I have to say I love the whole Morocco vibe and the aged patina colouring!

So this was the photo inspiration....              This is my card…

 

Patterned Cardstock from DCWV “The Endless Summer Matstack.

Texture added with Cuttlebug Moroccan Screen embossing folder.

Metal dragonflies inked with Adirondack Tim Holtz alcohol ink “rust”.

Everything else was dug out of the stash ;-)

Happy Crafting,

Sarah x