cardmaking

lavenderhousecreations

Easter bunnies

The colour challenge and Just Add Ink made me want to make a card, the Easter theme at Double D and the usual anything goes at CYHTP ensured I combined my idea so the card would fit into the three challenges. In general I don’t do many of the holiday themed cards except for Christmas, but I do want to send a few Easter cards this year so I’ve completed a few. Using the colours from Just add Ink I created an Easter egg and decorated it. I first cut the egg shape by hand and then using some scrap strips of CS I inked colour to each strip. When it was dry I cut the fringe using scissors that are actually designed for cutting herbs. They are more useful in my craft room. After cutting off the excess I set it aside. I pulled out an old Easter set from GKD, and stamped the rabbit on some scrap that has rough finish similar to linen and used some Prisma pencils to colour it. I did use an alcohol pen for his ears, nose and cheeks and a white glaze pen for his tail. Using a blender pencil I smoothed out the colour but deliberately left it a bit rough so it looks like fur. After finding a pink piece of vellum I dry embossed it with this tulip folder. I added the egg and took a Doodlebug sticker of a rabbit head and added it behind the egg before fully sticking it down. Some additional stickers were added as a decoration and the sentiment, from the same set, was stamped, embossed and fussy cut as I wanted it to be stacked not side by side. The other rabbit is popped up on foam tape. The gray note card makes the pink vellum look slightly darker than it actually is.

As so often happens, I’ve already thought of an easier way to add the fringed elements to get a better edge line, but too late for this particular card. All in all I’m happy with the card.

Thanks for stopping by, your time and comments are appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

new baby

My BFF has a new granddaughter so I made a card for her. The challenge at As You See It is a Recipe for a Pastel Celebration and it seemed ideal to combine the card with this challenge. Before I start these recipe challenges I write down the required elements lest I forget one and then cross them off as I go.

Corrected lampshade version. I simply couldn’t stand the harsh lines.

I was testing out a new StampinUP EF to ensure I had it the right way up and used the scrap pink piece for the test. Rather than waste it I added it to the card front as a background wallpaper for the rest. The window die is from Art Impressions and I backed it with some paper that looks like sky before popping it up as you see. Then I set about building the dresser to go beside the window. Basically I hand cut all of the pieces and glued them together. The sentiment is from MFT and was stamped in pink then heat embossed, after which, I rounded two of the corners before popping up with foam tape. The dresser drawers were also popped up with foam tape and I used two stickers from Doodlebug Design that I’ve had for quite a while. I used some valentine paper scraps to make a lamp shade and have the edge of a blanket falling from the drawer. To make the shade I used a scalloped circle die from Sizzix and then cut by hand. I wanted it to look pleated so I hand drew the lines, but it would have been better had I used a glitter pen as the black is a bit harsh. And the lamp base was a scrap that I’d saved and could finally use. Drawer pulls are gems from my stash. Twine is from my stash and I tied a small bow and hung from top of window adding the tiny heart that was a fallout from that space. Also used twine to look as if the butterfly is hanging.

Apart from the harsh lines I’m not unhappy with this card and I think my friend will love it even with a small mistake. Thanks so much for stopping by, you are appreciated more than you know.

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

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

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

glitter butterfly

SOS539 – Glitter Me Happy is the current challenge at Shopping our Stash and then Seize the Birthday wants us to use something new. Reminder #297-Use Something New.

I’ve just received some new EF’s and dies from StampinUP so this card works for both challenges. I chose the butterfly 3D folder and the dies that go with it. After embossing the panel I sprayed some sparkle spray and set it to dry. Then I die cut the the butterfly base and embossed it and cut 2 of the top layer, one in white CS and one in the purple glitter paper. I glued these 2 together so there was more stability for the top layer. Using a silver Nuvo glitter pen I went over the bottom layer to get it glittery. I did this twice to ensure good coverage. When it was fully dry I added the purple top layer attaching only under the body section, then I added the black body on top. I stamped the sentiment using an MFT set, but used the die from StampinUP to cut it. Using 2 tiny heart stamps from a YNS set, I stamped them at the end. Initially I tried stamping directly to this strip, but messed it up so I stamped again on scrap and fussy cut one to cover it. I also went around the sentiment strip with the silver glitter pen. It is very subtle so hard to see on the photo. After backing the layers to a silver piece it was all added to a white card front.

My hubby really likes this card and I hope that you do too. Thanks for stopping by, your time is always appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

postage style layout

It has been some time since I played in this particular challenge, but I liked this mood board and really wanted to try out my new die and stencil so I used the inspiration from there. The Card Concept #213 {Winter Solace}. I liked the colours in the mood board. I’ve never done anything like this before and am not 100% sure I like the result, but as with anything new, it takes time to figure out how things work best. It did give me an opportunity to use some small stamps that I’ve not used much in the past, all from different sets. Some are GKD, another is Kitchen sinks and another is MFT.

I guess I would categorize this as Mixed Media/Clean and Graphic based on the descriptions Card Concept uses. I sponged or brushed some colour through the stencil and when dry I began adding the images using Versamark ink and heat embossing as I went.

As this die and stencil are a U.K. brand (Woodware) they are slightly different to our sizes so I had to cut the panel down a bit to get it to fit onto the card front. I got them on sale at a Canadian online store called Scrap Chicks. It is fun to have a few new things to play with.

Many thanks for stopping by and also for any comments you may leave. I enjoy reading your thoughts. As I didn’t have time to finish this post yesterday I am looking at it with fresh eyes, which means I like it more now than I did.

lavenderhousecreations

special thanks

White-on-White Challenge at Double D and Just Add Ink #734…Something New Blog Hop! are two challenges that inspired this card. The folder is brand new and is by Memory Box, Open Studio and it came with two matching dies. I love white on white and am always fascinated with how different white can look on various card stocks. I started with the embossing and then die cut the two flowers which I also embossed. I added a tiny amount of green to the stems using a pencil. To give them some additional life I added some Versamark and heat embossed some white/glitter powder but the photo doesn’t really pick it up. It is very sparkly on my desk. I added a little more sparkle with some stickles.

Taking another piece of CS I roughed up the edges added some Versamark and heat embossed with the white/glitter powder. This piece was added to a card front and the embossed layer was added using a thick foam tape. The additional flowers were popped up on a thin foam tape. The sentiment and flourish were leftover from a previous project and I thought they worked well for this card so I added them. Finished it with some small Trinity Stamp embellishments. These particular ones pick up any colour around them which makes them an interesting addition.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying a nice day wherever you are.

lavenderhousecreations

bird-day greetings

Challenge #339 – Winter Frost is the latest challenge at As You See It and this one is a colour challenge. I thought about a design for a couple of days and then sawsomething in the group from GKD, by Karen Hightower, that was set out like this one and I went with that. My colours are as close as I can get with what I have using Distress inks and card stock from different sources. Card base is a darker basic gray with a slate gray background for the rest of the card. Ribbon is from my stash – no idea where I got these and I’ve had them for a long time. Stamp set is from YNS and the EF is another oldie that I have no name for but it definitely is a brand not a knock off. I did the birds and the balloon initially on some scrap CS and heat embossed them so I could add more colour. When they were dry I fussy cut each piece but took off the legs and the string. Then I added foam tape to the bodies and laid them on the top piece temporarily so I could lay out the stamps again. I re-stamped everything in Hickory Smoke and heat embossed for more definition. Then I added them fussy cut pieces on top so the birds now had their legs back as well as the balloon it’s string. I had cut the dry embossed piece to size, added foam tape and then added it to the lighter gray panel. Added the top portion the same way and left a small gap between the two. I wasn’t happy, so I had the idea of adding the ribbon which I liked much more. The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed but this stamp has a slight fault in it at one end and I tried several times to remove it. Nothing worked so in the end I angle cut the strip on both sides. It isn’t perfect, but better than the original. Too bad the company has gone as I would ask them for a replacement stamp if I could. I may try to cut the fault off, but it requires a very steady hand and I’m concerned I may ruin it completely. Overall I’m happy enough with the card that I am posting and entering it.

Thanks for stopping by, your time is appreciated as are any comments you may leave.