Inlaid die

 

I made this card using the inlaid die technique, and it was my first time trying it. With a relatively simple die like this ornament and circle, it wasn't that challenging, but I really admire those who have the patience to use this technique with dies that in includes lots of tiny pieces. I supposed most people know how to do this technique already, but quick recap if  you don't -- die-cut the outline in the card stock  you'll in lay in, then die-cut the piece (ornament here), and put it into the whole you've created (in the white here).  The white circle is also inlaid in the solid red.

This card is for several challenges:

January Rudolph Days - Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #527 -- anything goes

CRAFT #584 -- anything Christmas

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2104 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #475 -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

A little gap

 

I've been really struggling for inspiration lately, so when I see an idea that intrigues me, I jump on it. I found an intriguing idea recently in Mrs. A's current Butterfly Challenge, to make a gap card. I've seen these made with acetate, but she makes them with just the die-cut holding the pieces of the card front together. 

For my card, I followed the directions Mrs. A gives on her blog for creating the gap. I made by central piece with a couple of existing diecuts and some new ones.  I had the bright pink flower and light green vine already and they layered together really nicely.  I used nested dies to cut a smaller shape from a pink gingham snippet of patterned paper and a larger one from a black snippet.  For the butterfly, I used an apple green snippet of card stock for the solid under layer and a snipped of textured gold card stock for the filigree layer. From that, it was a matter of just assembling everything in a pleasing manner.  I decided to just use white card stock for the base rather than doing a layer of patterned paper because there's a lot going on in the center as it is.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Butterfly challenge #150 -- gap card, gingham, colors Granny Smith (apple green) gold, and geranium (bright pink)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- layer it up

Pixie's Snippet Playground #394 -- snippets (all the die cuts)

Word Art Wednesday #473 -- anything goes

Bring on the butterflies

 Happy 2021 everyone!. Wishing you all the best in the new year.

I have finally tried making a card in a box, which I'm sure you made years ago. I am always leery of "fun folds" because they don't usually go well for me, so I don't see the fun in them. This was actually very easy. (If you've never done one, the tutorial a SCS is very good). 

This also turned out to be an excellent way to use up snippets of patterned paper, and everything aside from the pink card stock used for the base is a snippet. (You pretty much need to cut a fresh piece of 12x12 paper to make this style).

I decorated the card with a variety of punched and die-cut butterflies, which I had stashed away. (However, I used snippets on all of them when I made them.) A few are mounted on strips of acetate so they are "flying" out of the box.

The hardest thing about this style is photographing it because all the butterflies look like a jumble.

This card is for these challenges:

Pixie's Snippet Playground #393 -- use snippets 

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Jan 2021 -- use patterned paper

Watercolor Christmas

 I've recently become interested in watercolors and have tried a few simple things along with the new watercoloring challenge at Splitcoast. This one was really easy -- use painters tape to mask off a triangle, fill it with green watercolor, and decorate. I used gold acrylic paint and gold embossing to finish off the card.

The card is entered in these challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #522 -- Christmas

Word Art Wednesday #470 -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge -- use patterned paper.

Blue snowflake

 

I think I've said this before, but I'll repeat myself. I love snowflakes as an image or design element, but I prefer they stay out of my life when it comes to weather.

For this card, I played with lots of different snowflakes. The big die-cuts are from a teal colored snippet of cardstock. For the background, I took an array of different sized snowflake stamps and used second, third, and even fouth generation stamping, to keep the background for overwhelming the die-cuts. The sentiment is white-embossed on a pale blue snippet of vellum. (I had trouble getting the vellum to cut straight, and now that I think about it, I usually tear vellum rather than cutting it. I guess that's why.)

This card is entered in these challenges:

CRAFT # 577 -- Christmas

Double D -- winter blues

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #516 -- anything Christmas

ABC Christmas -- Winter Wonderland

Pixie's Snippet Playground #390-- use snippets 

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2046 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday # 466 -- anything goes

Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes

Christmas Fun Fold

 I know a lot of people just love fun folds. These folds usually intimidate me, but this one was actually crazy easy. It's called a Triple Fold, and SCS has a tutorial as part of their Falliday Fest. 

It's also a good way to use up snippets, tecuase the two panels on the right only need about an inch to 1.5 inch wide strips of paper on top of the folded cardstock. There's also an inch-wide belly band, which is another good use for snippets.

I used snippets from a 6x6 pad of Christmas card stock where the dominant color is pink -- and don't ask why I bought pink Christmas paper because I'm not sure. (Some of the patterns are non-Christmasy, such as polka dots, so maybe I was thinking it would be multipurpose?) The pad also has a sheet of coordinating sentiments, and I used one on pop-dots for the center of this card. 

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #515  -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

 Pixie's Snippet Playground #390 -- use snippets

Word Art Wednesday #464 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug -- November anything goes

Crafty Sentiments -- Anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2045  -- anything goes

The Holly and the Ivy #83 -- anything Christmas

Slimline Christmas

 I'm just getting into slimline cards, and I used the current sketch at SCS to create a Christmas card. The snow-covered ground is torn card stock, the trees are cut from a sparkly white paper, and the silver circle is the moon. I found a good use for almost the very last bit of one of my favorite patterned papers for the edges.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes

The Holly & the Ivy #82 -- anything Christmas

Pammie's Inky Pinkies # 2043 -- anything goes

Word ARt Wednesday #462 --anything goes

Rudolph Days Challenge -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #513 -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper