card-making

lavenderhousecreations

Stack the holidays

Sue J has chosen the theme, Cute Christmas for our new challenge at cardz4galz and this is my idea. Using some different coloured CS and a 3D EF from SSS, I created several background pieces so I could make more than one card using this YNS stamp and die set. I stamped the critters several times and coloured each one using combinations of alcohol pens, pencils and a little glitter here and there. After die cutting I set them aside to begin the assembly of each card. For this one I took scrap DPS and using a die set called Essential Modern Ovals I cut one and using different PP I did enough to use on the 4 cards. The sentiment was stamped and cut using one of these ovals as well. Except for the texture this card is basically flat so should go through the post without issues. At the moment Canada Post is back on strike, so if I manage to actually mail Christmas cards this year, it will be a miracle. That said I’m hopeful and preparing them just in case.

It is hard to believe we are close the end of another year and trust that you’ve all had some good times through 2025. We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery, and above all, we want you to have fun.

lavenderhousecreations

far in miles …

In between other chores or obligations, I’ve spent a bit of time in my craft room sorting through paper scraps, which were getting out of hand. This morning I decided to use a few of the strips and make some backgrounds for using later.

Noticing a new colour challenge, I decided to use some of the strips in the colours and this card is the result of my playing around. I’m actually quite pleased with how it turned out. I used two different shades of teal, the darker in the striped piece with the lighter as a border. I also dry embossed the piece with a spellbinders EF that I received recently. Dies used are an unbranded rectangle set, leaves are from Waffle Flower and my sentiment is from Spellbinders heat set in silver.

It isn’t an elaborate design as the stripes do all the work and it is quite striking in reality.

Challenges I’m entering are:

Color Hues #122-Teal and Silver – haven’t entered this one for a while so it is time.

Anything Goes With A Twist of Food and/or Drink – twist not taken

lavenderhousecreations

diamond fold Christmas

Having seen Sam at Mixed Up Craft, and her new mini series on Diamond fold cards I chose this one to try for myself. I watched the video twice so I understood the basics and then as she suggested took a screen shot of the template so I could keep the measurements handy. After that I chose my base card and the PP before proceeding to follow along with the video. My base card is from Recollections and isn’t a heavy weight type which made it easier for scoring and folding. My paper is from a pack by Alchemy of Art purchased in a sale. And the silver CS is also from Recollections. The die sets used are from Spellbinders, and Essentials.

It isn’t a hard card to make, but it does take time as the scoring and folding are fiddly. I had to stop and start as my neck and shoulder kept causing my left hand to cramp, but I got there in the end. This is another card that will be given by hand to the recipients even though it does fold flat and will fit into an envelope. They are coming to visit soon so it will be waiting for them in their room. If postage wasn’t so high I would enjoy making more of this style and posting them, but the costs involved are making it prohibitive. The card I made for my sister cost me $8.50 to mail.

Thanks for joining me today. In between posting and keeping up with my little DT jobs, I’m also baking for my upcoming party. This particular dessert can be frozen for several months so it is an good one to make ahead.

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:

Just Us Girls Challenge #801 – WORD Week – Winter

Krafty Chicks challenge #794 – Christmas

MLCCB #65 Anything Christmas Goes

lavenderhousecreations

merry birth-mas

My last card as a guest designer at Seize the Birthday, and I’ve had such fun creating for each challenge. With this challenge asking us to use Christmas supplies and because I do have a male friend whose birthday is on Christmas day, I’ve decided this card is for him. This is always a birthday challenge but its asking us to use Christmas supplies to make it.

The strip of plaid CS used here is from a store bought card I received last year. The napkin music is the last piece of others I’ve used in the past. My Rudolph has been made by die cutting ovals and attaching them together. I cut a couple of small circles, one for his nose and another for his hands and I hand cut his teeth and then glued them as you see. Not my idea, but something I’ve seen on Pinterest and adapted for my own version. The bow is from an unbranded die set, the little stars are part of a die set by Marianne Designs and I used an MFT stamp and die set to create his antlers. A little bit of red sparkle on his nose and bow made him look more festive. The sentiment was created on my computer and is another thing I’d seen online. Initially I tried using stamps but couldn’t make it work nicely, so creating my own was the next option.

I’ve had a blast designing for Seize the Birthday and hope you have an equal fun time creating your own birthday cards with Christmas supplies. Thanks so much for stopping by, I appreciate you and your time.

lavenderhousecreations

hand painted baubles

Having seen something similar to this on Pinterest, I wanted to try a version of my own, but I’m no painter. In the end I created a stencil, pulled out my trusty TomBow markers and came up with these. They were so easy to do that I made about five of them. I added some sparkle elements with a Sakura pen and filled in a few areas, then I took a gold pen and free handed the top of the ornament and the cord.

With another marker I went around the edge of the white CS before adding it to the card front. My sentiment is from a Woodware set. I never would have thought I’d be free handing this kind of thing, and I’m pleased with how they turned out. CAS and pretty at the same time.

I don’t believe I’ve entered into the Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge before, so this is being added to their current challenge.

lavenderhousecreations

caroling snow people

With my mojo mostly absent in recent weeks, I was so fed up that I headed to a craft store in the hopes of reviving it. While there I discovered this set of Spellbinder dies, promptly purchased it and made this card almost as soon as I got home.

My papers are from StampinUp and I added sparkle to the stars in the background. After cutting the pieces I attached them as you see and then added the snow people as you see. It was a bit fiddly putting them together but I was smart enough to keep the pieces in little cups so I didn’t lose any. Spellbinders thought of everything here, as they even had dies that work to cover the holes from the back. I would have added black paper anyway, but having them die cut made it so much easier. They also thought of adding a small mark where the noses should go.

I’ve managed to get quite a few cards done this past week, so I must count them to see where I am at. My aim today is to get all the labels done and the cards signed and into envelopes. Our mail is working (kind of) as they are back to doing rotational strikes so some items are getting through. I shall likely mail most of my cards as soon as they are ready in the hopes that they get through the system. Better too early than awfully late and people can put them aside until they are ready to deal with Christmas décor if they wish.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look. I appreciate your time and any comments you may leave.

This card works for the challenge at Peace on Earth Challenge #98 so I am entering it there.

lavenderhousecreations

fairy dreams

Challenge #261 as chosen by Debbie, is to make a card for a little girl. For me this was a challenge as I don’t have any children in my life so I’m not into making cards with them in mind. That said, I remember being very enamored with fairies when I was a little girl, so I decided to make a card incorporating them. The larger fairy is from Crafters Companion, while the smaller fairy and the sentiment came from an older set from GKD. Paper is from a pad and the dragonfly is a sticker. The larger fairy was stamped onto vellum with Versamark and then gold heat embossed, after which I fussy cut. The smaller fairy was stamped directly onto paper and heat embossed as was the sentiment. I added a feathered skirt to the larger fairy, just because I could.

I’m thinking of giving this card to my neighbor as she has female grandchildren who may like it. We hope you have fun making your own creations and look forward to seeing what you create in our gallery. Thanks for stopping by.

lavenderhousecreations

shades of fall

After this long hot and dry summer it is a relief to be heading for some coolness and hopefully some rain. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking this way, although for sure we will all eventually be longing for winter to be over.

Our current challenge is to use the shades of fall and our recipe is to use 3 colours, 2 images, 1 stenciled or dry embossed piece, with an optional Twisted Sister idea to use either a fall fruit or veggie. As well you can use the Twisted Sister thing 2 double dare, which is to participate in the TSOT sketch #681 and/or the alternate Pearly Sparkles challenge #112. Bear in mind the risk of backlinking so your entry isn’t disqualified.

My card doesn’t fit the sketch challenge at TSOT, but I did add a fruit to my project. In case anyone isn’t quite sure – an Acorn is considered to be both a fruit and a nut. In a way my card uses the spotlight technique as I stamped the images onto the layer first and then again on a separate piece so I could die cut. Because I used Distress Oxides to stamp I was able to heat set the images clear making it easier to colour them. At the same time I added the sentiment and heat embossed it too. I coloured each image exactly the same using more than 3 colours and I did this with both ink and water colour pencils. The stamp set is from YNS and has matching dies although I didn’t use them here. I wish the company was still in business as I noticed that the sentiment stamp has a slight fault that I didn’t realize was there when I purchased the set. When everything was dry I die cut 3 small circles using Infinity circles from Hero Arts, making sure the die was smaller than the main stamped image. After adding some foam tape I carefully attached the circles on top of the main images. I also used an alcohol marker to go around the edge of this layer for a bit more definition although it is glued flat. The dry embossed layer was done using a Sizzix Tim Holtz 3D foliage folder and I swiped inks over the raised parts in the same colours as used when colouring the images.

Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you and your time. We look forward to seeing your creations for this challenge and above all hope you have fun creating.

lavenderhousecreations

wicked

Challenge #260, as chosen by Helen is to use purple and green and to make mine I used some glitter paper from Scrapbook.com in both those colours. The face and lip dies come from Spellbinders and the inspiration came from several cards seen in the private group for a kit I received as a birthday gift. I’m not allowed to share the photos from this group, but one crafter did make a card that helped me to make mine. I hand drew and fussy cut the hat and decorative band and buckle. The letters are from an older die set by First Edition Crafts and I used a couple of dies from HeroArts infinity circles as well.

I have to say this card turned out a lot better than I expected it to and my hubby loved it. We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery. Above all have fun.

Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you and your time.

lavenderhousecreations

postcard christmas

Although when I started this card I was thinking it may work for the next Peace on Earth Challenge #96, at the time I hadn’t seen their mood board or the DT designs. However, one example features a postcard and here is mine.

I was thinking about my Woodware postage frame die the other day and wondering how I might use it for a Christmas card? As it happens, I had already pulled out the MFT village stamp set I’ve used here, so I inked up some CS to give the blue background and stamped the scene in the middle. I used the accompanying stencil only to assess where to add other images. I added the trees, some from GKD, another MFT, the tiny mouse is Hero Arts and the sentiment is StampinUP. Everything was clear embossed as I worked and I coloured everything before I used the die to add the postage holes. I did trim down the edges to ensure it fit onto my card front which is from Spellbinders. At first I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but after my hubby and our artist friend were complimentary about it, I’m more comfortable with it myself.

I’m really trying to keep my cards as flat as possible for this season, as postage has become more expensive and the rules about some items keep changing.

Thanks for spending time with me today, I appreciate you and any comments you may leave.