Poinsettias........and lots of them

Evening,
I don't know about where you are, but it has turned bloody cold in my neck of the woods.
I know that lots of you will probably think that I'm being pathetic cause you are already wading your way through thick snow, but I really hope that we don't get any of that here.

Now I may not have gotten any Christmas cards sent out this year, time just seemed to get away from me, but I certainly have lots to share, so I will try and blog a few each week.

Maybe if I try and enter a few of the Christmas challenges that run throughout the year it will help to keep me on track.

I love poinsettias, although I am never very successful at keeping them alive, so stamps are definitely a much better option.

I do love this old Magenta stamp, as you may have guessed. It is part of a fabulous set, and works really well with these handmade background papers.

 This is another fabulous poinsettia stamp,

which I stamped and white embossed onto kraft card and then sponged and coloured with Distress inks.

This Penny Black stamp has been used

with an old favourite Kaleidacolor inkpad.

And one final card for tonight, this time with a bit of fussy cutting and some lovely 3d flowers.
I would like to enter my cards into the following challenges..
Crafty Calendar challenge - Make it Flowery - lots of Poinsettias
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes Christmas optional Something Old - Magenta/Penny Black Stamps and Kaleidacolor ink pad.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

A Bugs Life at Crafty Cardmakers and More

Hello Everyone
We have a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and More and I am your hostess this time round.
Our theme this time is 'It's A Bug's Life' so I would like to see Butterflies, Dragonflies, Ladybirds, or any other INSECT as the main image or focal point of your project.
We are sponsored this time by HOBBY ART STAMPS and DI'S DIGISTAMPS.

I have been lucky enough to be able to play with the Butterfly stamp set that has been provided by Hobby Art as one of our prizes.

The background paper has been handmade using Distress Inks, the Creative Palette and some Stampendous background stamps.

I stamped and embossed the butterflies on to this once it had dried and then painted them with more ink and a Gelly Roll Stardust pen.

I added some faux stitching, peel-off dots and Card Candi which I covered with Glossy Accents to give them more dimension.

The red background card has also been stamped with the Stampendous stamps and Versamark ink.
The sentiments are all part of the fabulous Butterfies set.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges
Crafty Calendar challenges - Things with Wings
Addicted to Stamps - Things with Wings
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Flying Things
Please don't forget to share some love with the rest of the DT, and I shall look forward to seeing all of your wonderful creations.
Hugs Kimx

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 91 Choose Three Different Techniques

Evening Everyone
It's the start of another challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers .
I had intended posting this so much earlier, but Grandchildren duties took over and I am as late with it as ever.
Our host is Sharon who has asked to see 3 different techniques on your card or project. 
Take your pick of 3 from the following list and be sure to state which 3 you've used:

• Embossing (wet or dry)
• Distressing
• Masking
• Making your own flowers
• Paper piecing/patchwork
• Shrink plastic

We are sponsored this time by Milk Coffee Digital Stamps with a prize of 5 digis from their store, and SirStampalot with a fabulous new Fran-tage Mica Fragments kit from Stampendous.

 For my card I chose to use a selection of stamps available from SirStampalot and some MASKING.

The central masked panel looks much more complicated than it actually is.
I learnt this particular technique from the lovely Barbara Gray, and I'm sure that it is on one of her DVD's except I'm not sure which one.

My second chosen technique is DRY EMBOSSING.
Of course heat embossing crept in there as well, always my favourite thing to do with my stamps.

My third technique is MAKE YOUR OWN FLOWERS.
I used a lovely Spellbinders set, Chrysanthemums I think.

The tiny leaves are the left overs from the punched border across the middle of the card.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges

Crafty Calenders - Blooms and Blossoms

Our Creative Corner - Anything Goes

My Sheri Crafts - Flower Power

I hope that you will feel inspired to join us HERE, but please don't forget to follow the rules or I'm afraid we will have to delete you, and we don't want to do that lol.

I have one final day off tomorrow, and no babysitting duties, so I hope to get a few more cards finished. 

You never know I might even manage a Christmas card or two. I confess I have been very lax so far this year, and I did so well up to this time last year.

Off to bed now, night night.

Hugs Kimx

Birthday blooms for Mandy

Evening Everyone.

I hope that you have all had a wonderfully relaxing weekend, or have you been catching up with all of those things that you don't manage during the week like the rest of us lol.

I have been enjoying a quiet house as the family are all on holiday. 

If I'm honest I do prefer some noise going on around me, but it is nice to be able to lay things out on the dining table and not have to put them away, so my crafting area has expanded while I have the chance.

My card tonight was made for Lorraine to give to her friend Mandy. I'm sorry that the picture is not very good, it really doen't show it at its best even if I do say so myself.
Easel cards are always so hard to photograph aren't they!

The main panel has been created using one of the Hobby Art sentiments from the Birthday Collection.
This is one of my favourite sentiment stamps at the moment.

The flowers have been added using the Embossed Resist technique, Versamagic inks and a lovely floral stamp set from Stampendous called Scripty Stems.

The butterfly has been cut using a Cheery Lynn die. Of course I added a little colour and some glitter.

Lorraine wanted her friends name added to the front of the card, and a little bit of bling so I added some ribbon and a diamante slider.
I would like to enter it in to the following challenges
Crafts and Me - Challenge 90 Birthdays
Allsorts Challenge  - In Bloom
The ABC Challenge - S for Surprise (Show us your best)
Penny Black and More  - Summer Blooms
Crafty Calender challenge - Flowers in Bloom
Off to bed now, and back to work tomorrow :O(
Hugs Kimx