lavenderhousecreations

polka dot fun

Debbie has chosen Polka Dots as the theme for our current #243 challenge here at Cardz4galz and here is my take. The first thing I did was pull out some card scraps in various colours then using 3 different sized circle dies from Hero Arts, I cut 3 in each colour. With a card panel is a shimmery beige I added the circles and glued them down when happy with placement. When dry, I used an EF from Lifestyle Crafts called polka dots and I embossed the entire piece. After cutting it to the size I wanted it was added to the green card front. I recently got a stamp set from the dollar store called Bee Happy and used the large sentiment on a scrap white piece. The ink is a Distress Oxide called Forest Moss and while it was still wet I heat embossed it with clear powder. I added a little gold sparkle to the bee bodies before using a StampinUP banner die to cut it. I added a few score lines down one side before popping it up on foam tape. The little bees were stamped, clear heat embossed and coloured with pencils before fussy cutting. They were also popped up with some foam tape. Wings were done with a glitter pen. I quite like the end result and it was a simple card to make. I had seen a card somewhat similar on Pinterest but mine CASE uses a far larger dot folder which I personally prefer. I wish I had cut the banner down slightly before adding it, but I forgot.

I shall be adding this to the challenge at CYHTP.

Thanks for stopping by, I do appreciate that you do and that you comment.

lavenderhousecreations

Wishing you …

There is a collaboration between Inkspirational Challenge #334 – COLLABORATION with Color Hues Challenge #103 – RED AND PINK and Color Hues #103-Pink and Red Collaboration and as my hands are reasonable I decided to join in.

The products used are mainly new to me with couple of oldies along with them. Cake die cut is from Memory Box, Candles are GKD as is the sentiment, EF is by StampinUP and the label die is from Spellbinders.

Using some PP from my stash I die cut the cake and added the frosting. Added thin foam tape to the back of the both pieces. I embossed the pink background piece and used a matching red strip that I had from the same folder. These were then added to the card front. Once the label die cut was done I added some thicker foam tape to the back and placed it as you see. The cake was then added to this piece. I don’t have any small candle stamps or thin dies (have made a note to get some) so I used what I did have and cut the length off. Perhaps a little too big still, but I made it work. Added the sentiment after stamping and heat embossing.

It is a snowy weekend where I live and as the temperature drops the road is going to be icy. We are glad not to have to go anywhere until Tuesday. Thanks for stopping by, your time is appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

masculine best wishes

SOS540 – Crafty Remnants – this challenge is right down my alley and I’ve had this card, done just after the holidays, ready on my desk waiting for the right challenge to enter into. My stamping buddies know I try to use all my scraps whenever possible. Only 3 things are not remnants, the black card, the sentiment die cut, (Sizzix) and the rushes die cut, (can’t remember by whom and temporarily misplaced). Everything else was leftover from prior projects some as far back as mid 2024. The blue layer was attached to the black card front and the stenciled piece added on top. Before adding it, I went around the edges with a blue pen. Stenciling was already done as it was a scrap I saved. Stencil by TCW titled screen view. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would use this leftover piece and then had the idea to make what you see here. The Canada Goose was something I found online for another project last year so as I had kept the image I printed it on CS and then fussy cut, before adding foam and popping it up. The single embellishment is covering up a small smudged area and is from my stash. It is nice to have a few masculine style cards done for this year.

I still have one more card made from scraps waiting for the right challenge to post too. I guess I shall soon have other scraps to use up, but for now I’m done.

Thanks for stopping by, your time is appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

angled layers

SSC352 Flying Through and this is a sketch challenge at Sunday Stamps this week.

It never ceases to surprise me that colours can change so much when taking a photograph. This card, in reality, has tones of Teal in both the striped background and the layer piece but here those pieces look more blue than Teal.

I used up some scraps that were still on my cutting board to make the angled layers and then looked through my paper stash to find the main background piece. The oval was cut with Hero Arts Infinity dies, the stamped and heat embossed image is from a new set from Crafters Companion as is the sentiment. I edged the sentiment piece, after fussy cutting, using a Spectrum Noir marker and let it soak just enough to create the illusion of a torn edge. To get the shape I pencil drew around the stamp first.

The little Candy dots are from Waffle Flower. I’m happy to say, that I am pleased with the end result on this particular card.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it and any comments you leave for me.

lavenderhousecreations

Red and Kraft

Seize the Birthday #298-Kraft and Red is the latest challenge and this is my 2nd attempt at a card. For the first time in long while, I actually ditched the 1st try. Although this is certainly better, I’m not sure I like it that much.

The MFT die used is a new one that I got on sale at our local craft store last week. The central portion is a background die, called floating hearts from SSS, that I cut and glued inside. Before I glued anything I used Barn Door ink and sponged over the birthday section and then the background piece. Using clear embossing I heat set it all. The inside section was created with a bit of fiddling and finessing. When satisfied I added the entire piece to the card front. The red border at the bottom is from ribbon strip dies and these pieces were gifted it to me by a stamping buddy. She sent a lot (a long time ago already) and I’m slowly using them up. Gems are from my stash. My reds match better under normal light although they are slightly different in tone.

I am not a person who likes browns and beiges so although I admire cards done on Kraft CS, I don’t use it very often myself. That is probably why I’m not sure I like this card.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you and your time.

lavenderhousecreations

chess anyone?

As You See It, my favourite challenge, is asking for our crafting resolution for this year. I think mine is often the same thing as I always want to use as much of my current supplies as possible. This card also fits the challenge at Krafty Chicks Challenge #752 {Masculine} so I’m adding it there as well. Last year I was part of a Kit club as a store was offering kits over 3 months at a very reasonable price. My kits arrived, all Crafters Companion, were inspected, set aside and then nothing. So for sure, my resolution is to actually use them and soon. And I will also concentrate on using stamp sets and dies that don’t get used as often as they should.

One of my stamping friends gifted me with some printed images from her collection of stamps when I needed something specific and didn’t want to buy a set for a likely one time use. I picked a few images from her blog and then saw a card she had done using some game images, so I also requested the StampinUP chess pieces. This card features that image and I fussy cut it for using here. Using a small hexagon die, I think from Crafters Companion, I cut several in both white and black. These were then added to the beige background piece which is PP from an older paper pad. The sentiment is two different stamps from a SSS set and the raffia twine is from my stash. I added everything to the black card front and declared it finished.

I really appreciate you stopping in for a look. Wherever you are I hope that it isn’t too cold.

lavenderhousecreations

Navy and lime green

The current challenge at: Color Hues Color Challenge #102 – Navy and Lime Green and this is my take.

Funnily enough I already had the green piece in my stash as I used up a last section of DSP a while ago. Initially I thought I might make this a small square card, but in the end I added it to the navy layer and then to the white card front. Using a small recently gifted sentiment die I cut the shadow from more navy CS and coloured a scrap of white CS with Twisted Citron which I heat set clear. When cool I die cut the actual word and attached them together. The paper ribbon at the bottom is ancient and from my stash. Gems are also stash. The two leaves are done in both navy and white and are a Memory box die. I tucked them just under the edge of the ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you and your time.

lavenderhousecreations

swimming turtles

I haven’t entered into the Alphabet challenge very often but having this card already done, but not posted made it perfect for the following U is for Underwater.

After the holidays were over, I set about cleaning up my very messy craft space. Part of the clean up entailed using some of the leftover scraps and oddments sitting around. The inked background piece was something I did in the middle of last year and only used a portion of. The die cut was from when I cut and used the piece as a stencil. I couldn’t throw it away at the time as I thought I may use it again. I never did use it as a stencil but after cutting it down a bit I laid it over the inked piece and decided to go for it. The small turtle was another leftover fussy cut stamped image that I had set aside and came from a set from GKD. In deciding to use it on this card I also needed something more to go with it, so I took the larger image from the set, and used it as you see. The sentiment is off something I received that had come unglued and I used it here so it wouldn’t go to waste. The card is a small one, 4.50″ by 4.50″.

I did a few cards using up many of those bits and pieces and they have been sitting in front of my computer waiting for the right challenge to appear. I know I don’t need a challenge to post, but part of the fun is adding cards to various challenges so sometimes I hold onto them for a while. On occasion I think some of my better creations come about using scraps and this is one of those to my mind.

Thanks for stopping by, I really do appreciate it, as I do, any comments you may leave for me.

lavenderhousecreations

CAS hugs

AAA Cards Challenge #282: Follow the Leader is the current challenge and this is my take on it. I have often thought of doing a card in this design, but never got around to it until now. Using Hero Arts infinity circle dies I first cut the white layer at the edge then using the waste piece from that, I die cut the smaller circle. My red layer is from a Divinity Designs paper pack I’ve had forever and I added the white onto that. Using a new stamp set that was part of a kit from Crafters Companion I stamped the seed head onto the small die cut and heat embossed, after which I added it to the center of the white layer. With a sentiment stamp from the same set I initially stamped directly to the card front but somehow I managed to smudge it and it wasn’t good enough to use for anything let alone a challenge entry. I set it aside until a few minutes ago, as, while I was searching for something online, I realized that I could perhaps stamp it again on another scrap and then die cut it using a heart die, (another infinity die actually). It did the job perfectly and adding the heart was a good idea as most of the DT’s used a tiny heart in their samples. It always amazes me how our brains work, because I wasn’t even looking for a solution when the idea popped into my head.

This card will go to my friend who after 6 months of chemo, has just had major surgery (mastectomy) and it will cheer her up I’m sure. Thanks for stopping by, your time is always appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

anything but square

Our current challenge at https://cardz4galz.blogspot.com/ has been chosen by Helen and we’d like to see anything but square creations. She will also be choosing the winners.

I chose to make a shaped card using Hero Arts Oval infinity dies and I carefully placed the biggest die so that I could keep the folded edge. The other layers were cut in the usual manner. The florals are from an unbranded stamp and die set. For the longest time these were in a box on my desk as I wasn’t sure I liked them after I had made them. Recently, I had the idea of layering some of them together which gave a nicer flower. I used some shimmer on top of the layer stamping so there is a subtle shine to them.

For now there is a generic sentiment inside the card, which I think will be all I shall use. Adding a sentiment to the front seems to me unnecessary. I also cut a small straight section at the bottom of the card so it will stand up nicely.

We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery and hope you have fun with your designs. Thanks for stopping by, your time is appreciated.