Green and Gold Ocean Scene

Although I like the end result of this card, I’m uncertain as to whether the colour is more on the blue side than on the green. However, I did make it for the challenge at Color Hues #128-Green and Gold and will enter it regardless. I like Teal as a colour but I do think interpreting it, is a challenge by itself.

When searching for PP related to photography last month, I came across another design pad that was all about water so I bought it as well. I found this pattern in the pad and die cut it using an unbranded set. I did the same thing using one of the smaller dies and gold CS but only used the leftover piece for this card. With other bits of the gold CS I die cut the sea weeds using a Memory Box die. The tiny fish are from Gummiapan and the seahorse I can’t remember unfortunately. All the tiny gold bubbles are fallouts from the Memory Box die cut.

As I’m not sure how I shall use this card yet, I’ve decided to leave the sentiment for now.

My brain has been thinking about another design so I may create it and have it work for another entry here. Its a good day to be inside, because the lovely sunshine we were having is gone and we have a rainy day now.

Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you stopping by.

February 27, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

As You See It Speed challenge

How appropriate that the newest challenge at As you See it is asking for purple which as many of you know is my favourite colour, and this is one of my favourite challenge sites too. Challenge #367 – Lickedy Split Lavender.

After finding all I required to make the card, I started the clock and cut two same size panels for the card front. Using a new oval from a Craft Addiction die set, I cut the floral image from a new paper pad by Hunky Dory called Duo Designs. I simple couldn’t resist that paper when I saw it. Anyway I took part of the paper and moved the die around until I found the part that looked best and cut it. With a smaller die from the set I die cut the white oval.

The hardest part of making this card was actually the sentiment. I used a stamp from a Joy Clair set, but I had to mask off each word so I could stamp it as you see rather than as a straight line. Up till that point it had only taken me about 5 minutes to do the card. Of course when doing something in a hurry Murphy’s law says it won’t work and I ended up having to do the oval twice.

So my card took me 7 mins and 23 seconds to complete. Well within the 10 minute limit, but it still made my heart race a bit.

For a card made in a speed challenge, it has turned out better than I expected and I quite like it. I am supposed to be doing bookkeeping for the end of year accounting, but it is a job I hate. I was so fed up that instead, I took a break and made this card as well as creating 2 envelopes for cards ready to be mailed, but that were not a normal size. I’ll go back to the books tomorrow I guess.

Thanks for spending time with me today, it is appreciated.

February 23, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

tent fold card

Our artist friend has a birthday coming up soon and I really wanted to personalize a card for her. When I saw this style card on YouTube, I thought it would be perfect to make a painters easel and this is what I came up with. The tutorial is found HERE if you are interested. Our friend loves blue so my first thought was to use blue PP, then my second was realizing I don’t have any stamp sets with artist tools. She is also an award winning photographer so I thought about doing a card using that as a theme, but I’d done several of these for my hubby and wanted something different. In the end I looked online to see what I could find that would be useful and found a set by Globeland on Amazon. Cheap stamps but good enough for what I needed, but no matching dies so I fussy cut the images. And the order was delivered this morning which was perfect.

Making the card folds and decorating it wasn’t hard at all. I did, however, want something on the floating piece that would look as if someone was painting. It was then that I remembered some cards that came in my Weekender kit from last year. I found one that looked like a painting and cut it to size before adding to the panel. The sentiment is from Joy Clair and I’ve added a piece on the back for writing a personal note.

All in all I’m happy with how this one looks and of course I’ve learned a lot while making it, so the next one will be much simpler to do. I have two other artist friends and may do something similar for them when their birthdays are coming up.

I think this card works for the following challenge: V is for Volume (Dimension) at Alphabet challenge blog and it loosely follows the sketch challenge at Just Add Ink #779…Sketch even though it is a fun fold rather than a note card style.

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

February 23, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

spring blooms

There are times when a store bought card, or in this case a tissue box, has images that just have to be used rather than thrown away. So I cut up the box and have several pieces that I can create with. This is my second card, but the first one is a scheduled post so won’t show up for a while yet.

I rather liked the sketch idea at Sunday Stamps and this is what I came up with. I shall enter it into the Anything Goes current sketch challenge.

Using some leftover scraps of a GKD brown CS I created a layer for the cut up tissue box piece. Before adding it to the card front, I added some ribbon and the sentiment. The sentiment is a gifted to me die with both shadow and word and I have no idea of the brand. I added strips of the same brown CS to the side and then added the enamel dots which are from Waffle Flower.

It is a more vibrant looking card in reality than it appears in the photo. A very easy card and I quite like how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you, your time and any comments you may leave.

February 18, 2026January 23, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

butterflies galore

Welcome back to challenge #270 here at Cardz4galz and Helen has chosen the theme of Wings, (butterflies, fairies, birds etc. As you can see I went with butterflies and used a new StampinUP hybrid folder for my design. I went over the folder with 2 different ink colours and ran it through. I cut the panel diagonally and added them to the card front. Next time I’ll make sure the colours are more evenly spread in the folder but I still like how it looks. Using the die with the folder a second time, I ended up with the large butterfly and I used an ink cube over the raised parts to give it some colour. A gold pen for the body and some pops of color dots finished the card.

I’ve left off a sentiment for the time being as I’m not sure how I shall use the card. Its also a somewhat busy design and I’m not sure if a sentiment will look nice or be too much. I’ll cross that bridge later.

We look forward to seeing your designs in our gallery and hope you have a lot of fun creating.

Thanks for joining me today, you and your time are appreciated.

February 17, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

fly high …

This is a second CAS card that will work for the current challenge at Seize the Birthday #320- CAS with Dies. I felt like trying something that included this flourish stamp from Hot off the Press. I had used the feather and sentiment stamps but never this particular one. Once it was stamped I added the sentiment at the bottom and made my own ‘on your birthday’ strip using my computer. The two birds are from a set by the Cat’s Pajamas and I used the matching dies to cut them.

To be honest although I like the set, I find the dies very challenging because it is hard to see the placement. To solve this I die cut the birds, place the entire piece onto my stamp apparatus and add the cut pieces back into the space. It is easier to stamp the images after they are cut than to do it any other way.

After adding a few embellishments I decided it was finished. Then I added the square panel to the black layer and onto the card front. Its a simple card but very effective in black and white. The little jewels add just enough sparkle to highlight the flourish but they don’t show that well in the photo.

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

February 15, 2026January 25, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

hinge fold get well card

Welcome to another challenge here at Double Trouble. Our theme this time called Scrapper’s Guacamole and you should use 3 colours from the ROYG BIV colour wheel, 2 pattern papers and a dry or heat embossed element. To earn another chance to win you can enter TSOT with something that works for the sketch. Just be sure you are entering without accidentally back linking.

I chose to do a get well theme because I have a friend who is not well at the moment and this should cheer her up. My patterned papers are from SSS, my stamps and dies are from MFT with one from Catherine Pooler. I’ve had this MFT set since Covid and have only used one or two stamps from it until now. My colours are reflected in the card stock – yellow, PP has various colours, red, green and pink pencils and alcohol ink pens for colouring the images and my embossing style uses heat with gold flower centers and an embossed Get Well sentiment. To be honest, I almost forgot the embossed element and had to scramble to add it so I used a Wow embossing pen on the flower centers and heat embossed them as best I could considering the card was already assembled at that point. The get well sentiment was also a last minute addition.

For anyone wishing to make this style card, I used a tutorial found at Lisa Curcio. She gives several samples and her printed project sheet makes it easy to do.

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

We look forward to seeing your cards in our gallery, have fun and good luck.

January 31, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

Rhapsody in Red, not a valentine

The challenge is all about using reds and I decided on this design and papers for the As You See It, Challenge #365 – Rhapsody in Red. There is a recipe included so I ensured I got all the ingredients as well.

Firstly I chose my papers using a small paper pad from a dollar store. Having seen something like this on Pinterest that also had measurements and a tutorial, I took a closer look to see how best to proceed. The demonstrator explained her process and I followed it mostly, except that I wanted borders around my papers so changed it up a little bit. Once I had my strips ready I chose a neutral matte old gold card front and added them as you see. I die cut 2 hearts, one in white CS and one in Vellum using a set from Memory Box. Actually before I cut the vellum one I used a stamp from a Crafters Companion set already on my desk. I then stamped the floral sprig in Barn Door Distress Oxide and then heat embossed it with a clear powder. Once I was happy with it, I die cut it and attached it to the white one. I hope the vellum can be seen. I did try several coloured pieces behind it, but the white looked best. In my bits and pieces box I found a gold heat embossed sentiment which I fussy cut and added to the heart. And I also added a small bow. The heart is popped up on foam tape. The inside panel was stamped using a Hampton Arts set with Aged Mahogany ink, and I also added more red floral sprigs in a couple of places. The embellishments are from my stash and I used the bigger gems so they would show up more.

Thanks for spending time with me today. I appreciate that you stop by and also any comments you may leave.

January 18, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

lights, camera, action

My hubby’s birthday is coming up soon and I’ve been working on this card for him. I can share it here, as he doesn’t go to my blog so won’t see it. Because it fits the current challenge at As You See It, Challenge #364 – Craft Room Additions I shall be entering it there.

My new additions are the patterned paper, the camera, and spectacle dies. This is an unbranded set that has other dies related to travel in it. I used two photo frame dies that have been in my stash forever and not used often, if at all. The banner die is from Scrapbook.com the alphabet dies are from First Edition craft and were cut from scrap card stock. The hugs die cut was a gift so I don’t know which brand and the its your birthday in the smaller frame is from CTMH and was a leftover piece in my stash.

The hardest part in making the card was figuring out what I wanted to use and then following along with the tutorial by Sam Calcutt at Mixed up craft. I like her tutorials and generally find them easy to follow, but for some reason, on this one, I couldn’t get the measurements right at first. I also didn’t have a heavy weight CS in the blue so getting mine to stand properly took a bit of finessing. I’m nothing if not persistent and usually find solutions or work arounds when I’m stuck. Because the paper is very busy, I kept the additional items to just a few things camera related. My personal message will be written on the back of the easel stand added behind the card.

I’m hoping to make his favourite chocolate cake but can’t find the chocolate that I normally use. When I asked at a local grocery store that has carried it in the past, I was told they aren’t stocking it due to the cost. They offered a chocolate flavoured slab, but I declined as it has to be quality and the real thing or nothing. I’m hoping when I’m in Nanaimo next week, a larger town not too far away, that I can find a gourmet store there that stocks it. The price of things lately is beyond ridiculous, but making a cake without the right ingredients is a complete waste of time in my opinion. Wish me luck.

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

January 11, 2026 lavenderhousecreations

a gift for you

To make this card, I used a slightly textured piece of CS, some Speckled Egg ink and a folder from SSS. I inked up the flat side of the folder, added my card and ran it through the machine. This is the result and I love how it looks. I did a test piece first to ensure I had the right sandwich, so I now have another piece I can use at some point.

The current challenge at Seize the Birthday #318-Make Your Own Snowflake Background and using this folder from SSS, fits the bill beautifully to my mind. The stamps are from a Penny Black set. I stamped out the Penguin and then heat embossed it clear so I could use watercolour pencils. Once it was coloured and dry I fussy cut it and added some foam tape. Taking a scrap piece of printed vellum I cut a piece to ground the penguin and edged it with some glitter using a Sakura pen. Used the same pen around the sentiment edges. The Penguin was attached as you see and the card was complete. This card will go to a male friend whose birthday is coming up soon.

I’m really happy with how this card turned out and must remember to do this technique with folders more often. Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you, your time and any comments you may leave.