stamping

lavenderhousecreations

standing fun fold

Having seen a card done in this style on YouTube, I wanted to try for myself. If you are interested in making one you can go here and see how. I followed the measurements but my card is using a napkin design that I had transferred to some thin card stock a while back. The only stamps I used are on the back piece and come from Marianne Designs and Kitchen Sink. I had to get a bit creative in laying mine out which took some fussy cutting but I’m pleased with the end result. The card stands beautifully, but folds flat for mailing and isn’t too bulky when folded. I’ve already got a smaller base ready for a second one and an image from a tissue box to use on a third.

Figuring out the fussy cutting took a bit of time, and I also did a bit of decoupage on the figure and bicycle. I used an old paper pad (when I say old, I mean really old) that is all sky and cut it to the size I required. After stamping the windmill I coloured it using Inktense pencils and a small amount of water. The ones I plan to do soon, will be much easier as I now have a good idea what they will look like when finished.

This was fun to make and my hubby was quite impressed with it. I am adding it to the challenge at Triple B January 2026 TB Challenge. Considering the weather and the dreary days, doing a card that denotes springtime was a nice project.

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

lavenderhousecreations

just for you

I’m supposed to be cleaning up my craft room and cataloguing my new stuff, but in the process I’ve gotten a bit sidetracked. The latest challenge, AAA Card Challenge #305: Anything CAS Goes, optional twist: white on white and I do enjoy making white on white cards.

The die I’ve used is new and is from Crafters Companion. It comes in two halves with two stamps. I cut it using some scrap water colour CS. The popped up background piece was cut using an unbranded set, also fairly new to me. Using my smaller Misti I stamped the words and when the ink was dry I added the top and bottom parts of the heart. My embellishments are from Trinity Stamps and are clear, but they are designed to pick up colour from anywhere. In this case it is from the overhead light and on the photo they are reflecting the light and look more golden. In front of my computer screen it is all white so they look shiny white.

I guess now I’ve actually used this new die, I can put it away properly haha. As I have several new ones not even opened, I’m pretty sure I shall get sidetracked again. Hubby just came into my craft room, picked up the card and said how he liked it. Then he asked me if I could add the cuts to a coloured background, which was another idea I already had in my head.

I’m off to put away a bit more stuff before I stop for the day. I did all my embossing folders yesterday. They are now all labeled and numbered so I can find them more easily.

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

lavenderhousecreations

Christmas stocking

Well here we are with the last challenge of the season for Double Trouble and the recipe this time is: 3 -Something from your stash, 2 – Anything from your stash and 1 – everything from your stash. Twisted Sister says add a ribbon, twine or cord to your project but it is optional and Thing 2 says follow the TSOT #685 sketch and get additional entries to win. However you do need to be careful not to backlink when you join the challenge.

My card has 3 layers including the stocking but not including the actual note card, 2 tiny gems on the sentiment although there are more on the PP and my one is the sentiment, but could also be the stocking. I did add a twine bow to my stocking. I didn’t really interpret the sketch in my opinion, but others may think differently.

The stocking die comes from The Netherlands and is by Marianne Design. The twine is from my stash and is a challenge to use as the threads unravel too easily. The glitter CS and PP are from Michaels and I added Stickles to the stocking to define the toe, heal and top a bit more. Sentiment is from an MFT set and I used another one on the inside from the same set. While making this card I also made another stocking which is ready to use on another project.

Thanks for stopping by, you are appreciated. We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery and above all have fun in your craft room.

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

get well soon note

Our 3-2-1 recipe for the current challenge is to use 3 colours, 2 layers and 1 image. The optional twist is to add ribbon, twine or cord and the double dare is to use the sketch #684 at TSOT. You may add more layers etc., but keep in mind the basic requirements. As well be careful not to backlink when entering into the TSOT challenge.

My card has 3 layers and 2 images. The stamp sets used are from GKD and MFT, the border die is from Crafters Companion Gemini and I used bright yellow, an orangey red along with some blue and a brown for my tree branch. My ribbon is also from GKD. Starting with a layer of 5X5″ CS I added colour by sponging and then sprayed it with a sparkle shimmer spray. While this was drying, I cut two border pieces using the border die. After stamping my bird I fussy cut it out and then coloured it adding a touch of sparkle along the feather edges with a pen. He was popped up on foam tape. I played with placement before stamping my tree branch and the sentiment. Then I added the ribbon which is see through so everything is still visible although softened. Last was to add my little bird. This panel was then added to the silver glitter piece giving me a pretty border and in turn this was added to a 5 1/4 by 5 1/4 note card.

I’m quite pleased with the end result and had fun putting it together. We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery soon.

Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you, your time and any comments you may leave.

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

build me a snowman

Welcome to our latest challenge here at cardz4galz, chosen and hosted by Caz. She wants us to build a snowman and I took the build part very literally and actually built my snowman.

Using a die set from Sizzix, I die cut two sizes of scalloped circles and then one smaller regular circle from Spellbinders. An old stamp set from Dare 2B Artzy was used as a template for his hat which I stamped separately and then fussy cut to adhere on top of the circle and I used the nose and scarf from this set as well. The twig arms I did by cutting from a scrap piece and I added the eyes, mouth and buttons by hand. A black Spectrum Noir sparkle pen was used on his hat along with some Sakura glitter pens for his hat band, flower and nose. And I added some shading using a gray pencil on his body. I assembled the snowman and set him aside.

Using a navy blue piece of card stock, a stencil called WarmWishes along with some sparkle stencil butter from TCW, I made the background. When dry I cut it to size attached it to the card front and then added my snowman. The sentiment is from the same stamp set as the other bits, but I cut it into two pieces so I could make it fit where I wanted it to go.

We look forward to seeing your snow people in our gallery soon. Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you and any comments you may leave.

lavenderhousecreations

colour blocks

Challenge #204, here at Double Trouble is called ‘Its a Tall Order’ and if you’ve guessed its about creating a slimline or a mini slimline card you would be right. If you follow the sketch at TSOT #683 then you get an extra chance to win, but be careful to ensure you don’t backlink. My card follows the sketch but I can’t add it to the challenge because it would definitely be backlinking. The recipe calls for 3 colours, 2 images, 1 Slim line or mini and the twist is to use something beginning with T.

First I masked off a section of my card layer and then using a mask I could move up and down easily I proceeded to sponge ink in colour blocks similar to a paint chip. I used 5 different greens . My focal image is from a GKD stamp set that I’ve had for a long time and I stamped it with Versamark and then heat set in gold. Using another GKD set I chose 2 stamps that I could use in the top right hand corner. These were stamped in yellow and I added a green Pop of Colour dot to their centers. The sentiment is from Hampton Arts and my added twist, which I almost forgot, is a twine bow. Before adding the layer to the main card I used a yellow distress Oxide to colour in my daffodils and I went around this layer with a black marker to give a border.

Thanks for stopping by, your time and your comments are always appreciated. We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery and hope you have fun coming up with your own ideas.

lavenderhousecreations

Fall birthday

Seize The Birthday is asking for Favourite fall treats which leaves quite a lot of scope for your designs. As an invited guest DT I came up with this card.

As an Ex-Pat Brit, we didn’t have all the hoopla that is part of living here and I’ve never quite gotten used to the N. American way of celebrating it. Asking me what my favourite treat is, is a hard question for me to answer. I’m kind of boring, as I only like regular coffee, so all the flavours available aren’t something I would go for, and although I enjoy pumpkin pie, I can’t say I’m mad for it. Likely because of this I don’t have a lot in my stash that pertains to this theme. I do however enjoy the fall colours and seeing pumpkins stacked up in a store, or watching kids at a pumpkin patch, choosing the one they want to carve up as part of the upcoming Halloween fun.

All that to say making a card for this challenge was somewhat of a real challenge for me. In the end I chose to do a fall scene. I pulled out a Birch/Aspen tree stencil and added the blue sky and some grass to show between the trees. Then using a fine brush and some ink I shaded the actual trees with Lost Shadow and some Hickory smoke to give them some definition. My gate and the small topper are dies from Gummiapan and I stacked a bunch together to give the gate some dimension. I cut the topper in green as well as yellow and stacked them so that there was some green showing after I cut off some of the yellow bits I didn’t need. I also went around the wood edges with some ink, but the actual wood grain is from a dollar store paper pad. A Tim Holtz stencil was used for the pumpkins and I moved the stencil around to try to get a stack. Once it was dry I added some additional colour for definition and then fussy cut. After adding the main layer to the card base I placed the gate and the pumpkin stack where I felt they looked best and glued them down. The sentiment came from Hampton Arts and I used foam tape to get it to sit over the edge of the gate frame.

I’ve had a lot of fun being the guest designer here and there is one more to go before my stint is finished. I sure hope you have fun creating your own favourite fall treat cards. Thanks for stopping by, your time and any comments you leave are highly appreciated.

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.