Cactus Greeting Card

Sharing my DT card for the challenge over on Let's Craft and Create blog this month with the theme  "entwined."

I had been thinking about making some cactus using my flower forming foam but as I didn't any specific dies or stamps I had a look in my stash to see what I could use. Stamping Up had a fabulous succulent die set which would have been perfect for this but sadly it's retired and very difficult to source.

To make the larger cacti, I used green flower forming foam with the fluted petal shaped dies from the Dreamees Sweet Sunflower die set. I inked the edges of the petals with a red oil pastel. 

Unfortunately, I didn't have any dies or stamps for the shape I was looking for my second cacti, so I sourced a free template online. Printed it onto card and used it to cut around my flower forming foam.  Yes, a little more fiddly but wanted to see if it would work.

At first, I used the red oil pastel on the edges as before. You don't have to be precise with the colouring as it will merge into the foam when you carefully wipe a damp baby wipe over the edges to soften the colour after.  Using a ball tool give the petals some shape before layering them up and using a glue gun to stick them together. I have two glue guns, one that gives a fine flow of glue which is needed for this project or when glueing flowers and another glue gun with a thicker flow for more sturdy sticking. Nail glue is another good alternative to a glue gun for flowers.

I wasn't quite happy with the colour and as I didn't have a plum oil pastel, I used my plum dinky inky by the Dreamees with a blending tool and carefully added a little more colour to achieve the shading I wanted.

I found the foam gave me the texture I was looking for but I think cardstock would have given me a better sharper structure to the cacti, especially on the edges of the leaves.

Never the less, I was pretty pleased with the result on my first attempt.

For the rest of the card, I used a Stamping Up large Hardwood stamp, with a Dreamees sentiment and an Ali Reeve mdf driftwood shape to draw around to get my topper shape. Unfortunately, this lovely hardwood stamp is also discontinued. Stamping up collections retire quite quickly but if you are lucky you can source them online via the secondary market.

I also used some wired twine to embellish my cacti and around the topper, finished off with a bed of sisal (available from craft shops, The Works or in the Dreamees natural embellishment pack) and a few Dreamees - coffee pearls.

Have a look at the inspiration provided by the rest of the design team on Let's Craft and Create Blog this month and the entries for this months challenge.  There is a prize for the winning entry.

Happy Crafting

Giraffe Birthday card

Sharing my DT card for the challenge over on Daisy Chains Blog Challenge this month with the theme  "Summer."

I decided on Giraffes this month from my firm favourites, The Dreamees. Using one of their letter shaped templates from their CDs and papers from the Gorgeous Giraffes CD. Instead of using my stamp set I decided to use the papers on the cd and fussy cut the little giraffes.

With a little glossy accent on their cheeks and some foliage from my maidenhair fern die by Tattered Lace, I decided that was all it needed.

The sentiment also from the Dreamees  Gorgeous Giraffes CD matched the card and the little one receiving it perfectly.

Dreamees Gorgeous Giraffes

Have a look at the rest of the design teams inspiration for this month over on Daisy Chains as well as the blog entries.

Happy Crafting

Engagement Card

Today I thought I'd share my an engagement card I made for my daughter using my Tattered Lace dies.

For the card base I used the Tattered Lace Fine Filament Portifino die set with snow white centura pearl with a silver grey pearlescent lacy panel from the same die set. I also used the heart die from the dimensional heart handbag die set with some Hunkydory silver mirri card.

3D Decoupage Gardenia Diamond

Fine Filament Portifino

I chose the 3D decoupage Gardenia Diamond die set flowers for my card, printing the matching charisma paper onto white centura pearl paper. These charisma papers are available as a free download direct from the Tattered Lace website under the Raspberry Roses Collection.

I cut away the diamond frame to leave me with an arc of gardenias, which were decoupaged. The lacy edge large square die also makes a perfect matching insert for the card.  Finishing off with some organza ribbon, diamonte ribbon slidder and Tattered Lace word dies.

I think these dies work so well together and was really happy with how my card turned out.

Happy Crafting

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Tattered Lace - Even More Words DT samples

Following the launch of Tattered Lace Even More Words collection, I am sharing my DT samples made from some of the dies for the launch on Create and Craft TV  today.

I used the following dies for my samples: - King of  Everything, Top Hat, Expression of Lace Diamond Frames & Nested Pint Glass dies

For my first card I have used a mix of the King of Everything, Top Hat and the Expression of Lace Diamond Frame dies

I have printed the Diamond Frame onto a velour cardstock for that felt look and then decoupaged it.

I thought the Top Hat and monocle gave the lion a quirky gentry look and as you know I love quirky!

Using the same dies but taking away the Top Hat dies I have gone for a more Serengeti look, using paper from one of Tattered Lace's downloads.

Bringing his mane forward for a little more dimension.

For a very different look, I  die cut the lions face into the black cardstock, then used copier paper scrunched around the lions face. For this, I used a matt medium to stick it down and a thin coating over the top.  Let it dry before adding your choice of gilding wax. I have gone for bronze by Treasure Gold. A little goes a very long way as its really creamy.

I have then mounted it onto a combination of black card and Hunkidory chocolate mirri card.

I have gone for a steampunk look with this easel card using the Expression of Lace Diamond Frame dies which have been decoupaged onto gold mirri card and part of the Top Hat die set.  The patterned papers are from the Tattered Lace Neo Victoriana collection.

I die cut the top hat frome papers from the Neo Victoriana collection and then chopped up parts of another which looked like metal plates to form the steampunk effect for my top hat.

I used a brass button from my stash and the monocle from the Top Hat collection for the watch. I found some papers in my stash with clocks on, small enough to create a fob watch and added a circle of acetate for a more realistic effect.

 The fob watch can actually be moved up and down and has a solid back as a fob watch would have.

It all just seemed to work together, the way I wanted it to fortunately!! and I added a key (from a pack of key embellishments) to complete this project.

I really like this particular die set, the more I used it, the more I found I could make with it. It really does help to have a play first before you dive in and make a project, just to see what works and what doesn't.

I had seen quite a few "Like a Sir" themed items about and thought this die set would lend itself perfectly to  this.  Instead of using the matching charisma papers that you can download with your dies directly from the Tattered Lace Website  I decided to die cut using black centura pearl card and a gold matt mirri card. I paper pieced the cane and hat and again used acetate in the monocle for a more realistic affect.

The backing papers were from a download I had and printed them onto my cream velour paper/card.  I originally purchased this paper from the Dreamees website and use it a lot as it give your projects a lovely suede like feel as well as prints perfectly.  I also used the Tattered Lace Precious Nested Book for my card base.

Again I have added another little fob watch to the spine of the card which is moveable using the monocle from the Top Hat collection.

For my oval card I have just used the Top Hat die set but made the monocle into some specticles, adding googly eyes. I added the card stand because I thought my card would sit better on it and then thought it looked like a "Mr Potato Head" with feet!! I have also used the Oval 3 Foundation die set for the card base.

Circus/party themed was my next idea behind this card, incorporating the canes as prop sticks like the ones you get in these photo booths you can hire for parties and weddings.

I have used the match charisma papers for the dies for this project.

I mixed the Top Hat die set with the Nested Pint Glass die set, using one of the larger dies in the set for the face. Making a pair of spectacles again from the monocle, I added some holographic card for some Ringo Starr glasses! ....I just love the ginger moustache and beard on this one.

It just needed something else though and ribbon didn't seem to fit on a male card so decided to tie it into a tie, as I had a piece just the right colour and just big enough to tie!!

Cardstock was a 12 x 12 scrapbook piece from my stash. That's why I have so many random bits of craftstock ......because you never know when you might need an oddment.

Right, on to the Nested Pint Glass die set, Ideal for male cards, a little different and at first I wasn't too sure what to use it for apart from the obvious shape. I used it as part of a face in the previous card and made a shaker card using the largest dies.  I did have to search for the shaker cup, which I knew I had but didn't know where. This shaker cup is one by Stamping Up but there are various other branded ones about, but I knew this would be the right size for my card. 

I filled it with tiny pint glasses using the smallest die in the collection with a remnant of  mirri card that I can only describe as a metallic peach. I also used my Tattered Lace Nested Circle dies to die cut the outer circle. for the shaker cup.

For cardstock, I went with a piece of mustard card, mink centura pearl card onto a kraft card base.

For a slightly different look, I used my Tattered Lace Tall Stepper die for a base with the larger pint glass dies layered up onto mink centura pearl card, mulberry red mirri card by Hunkydory and chocolate centura pearl card for the top layer.

Using some sand coloured core coordination card by Tim Holtz that I had I used one of the small Pint Glass dies to decorate, adding some frosted lace stickles for the foam on my pint.

A few ribbon banners and a sentiment, just to finish it off.

My final card to share is a bit retro, with that familiar diamond pattern I remember my dad having on his socks. I have used the Tattered Lace Diamond Foundation dies on my felt cardstock again to form the pattern.

This time I have paper pieced my Pint of beer and added a layer of acetate for the glass effect, with some frosted lace stickles for the foam.

A piece of worded birthday ribbon finished it off nicely and meant I didn't need to add a sentiment to the front of my card.

Men's cards always seem a challenge to make but I really enjoyed using this collection and I'm sure it will come in very handy in the future.

Happy Crafting