Apologies

Just to apologize for not having posted anything for a while.  My mum has been diagnosed with cancer and we have been going to the hospital every day for radiotherapy so blogging has definitely been put on the back burner!  She is feeling a little better this week so hopefully I will get back both to crafting and this blog soon.

Liv

Card for a child

Hi again,

This stepper card was made using the Fred She Said Emma the mermaid set.

I'd like to enter it into the following challenges:
Come and get it challenges - H2O just add water 1/3-1
The paper shelter - animal magic 4/3-1
SweetnSassy digis - Card for a child 28/2-1
My time to craft challenge - inspired-by-song "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid film 28/2-1
Allsorts challenge - animals 28/2-1
One stop craft challenge - for kids 1/3

 

 

Thanks for looking

Liv



White (& Silver) Wedding Card

It's my friends' Jon and Rachael's wedding on Saturday so thought I'd show the card I've made for them (and enter it into a few challenges!).  Their wedding invitations (which I also made) were silver and white, with a small amount of bling, so I thought I'd stick to the theme for my card.

The background is embossed using Spellbinders M-Bossabilities folder EL-002, the car die is by Marianne Designs and the nesting frame die is by Lifestyle Crafts (#4).  I cut the 'Just Married' tag by hand.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Cas-ual fridays - Hi Ho Silver 28/2-1
Crafty Catz - dies and punches 28/2-1
Crafting for all seasons - dies and punches 4/3-1
Top tip tuesday - tag you're it 3/3-1
Joanna sheen - layer it up 7/3-1
Cute card thursday - simplify 28/2-2
Creative creations challenges - inspired-by-song - 'White Wedding' by Billy Idol

Thanks for looking.
Liv

Aqua CAS challenge card

As mentioned in my 2 earlier posts I'm in a clean and simple (CAS) mood this week. 

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Cute card thursday - simplify 27/2-1
The Ribbon Girl - turquoise/aqua colour challenge - 23/2-1

 

I embossed a piece of white card in an embossing folder then cut it into strips and placed them on a square of aqua card.  I used some of my favourite ribbon to tie into a simple knot over the panel, which was then mounted on to a white square card blank.

 

Simples!

 

 



CAS Butterfly2

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I'm going very simple on my challenge entries this week. 

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Allsorts challenge - things-with-wings 22/2-2
Daring cardmakers - fly fly butterfly 22/2-2
Papertake weekly - buttons or bling 24/2-1

Till next time.
Liv

CAS Butterfly

There seems to be an increasing trend for lots of cards to be 'fussy' - having multiple patterned papers, flowers, ribbons and buttons all on one card for example.  I have tried to add multiple elements to my cards but really think I must be a CAS (clean and simple) girl at heart!  Consequently this week's card challenge entries are all fairly plain.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:
allsorts challenge - things-with-wings 22/2-1
Creative creations challenge - inspired-by-song (Inspiration Dolly Parton's 'Love is like a Butterfly') 2/3-1
Daring cardmakers - fly-fly-butterfly 22/2-1

 

Let's hope you don't all think the cards are too plain/boring! Thanks for looking.

Liv

My First Top 3 Challenge Win

Hi.  I'm very excited today as I have just discovered the card I showed on February 10th was chosen in the Top 3 in My time to craft decoupage challenge.



I haven't quite worked out how I get this badge to appear at the side of my blog yet LOL, but it will be there as soon as I have read the necessary instructions.  Still on a massive learning curve with this blog thing!

Anyway a massive thank you to Judith and all at MTTC for picking my card. 

Liv

More Love Challenges

I'm entering the card below in to the following challenges:
Creative Creations Challenge  – It must be love (2-17/2)
The Ribbon Carousel - Love is in the air (2-28/2)
Ready-Teddy-Go Challenge - Love is in the air (1-28/2)

Last week I used this decoupage image on a challenge card.  I thought it was rather cute so used it again on today's card.  The image is from Kim MacFarlane / Cuddly Buddly Crafts.  The background shape is cut using Marianne Anja Square Dies.  The card is finished with mauve voile ribbon which is placed along the edge of the card and then made into a rosette accented with a small purple button.

Thanks for looking.
Liv

Love themed challenges (+1 decoupage!)

Hi everyone.  Thought I have a real go at Challenges this week.  I’d like to enter this card for the following challenges, most of which are love themes:

Fab’n’Funky Challenges  – Valentines or Hearts (1-12/2)
Cute Card Thursday – Love Struck (1-13/2)
Allsorts Challenge – Valentines (1-15/2)
Daring Cardmakers  – Love is in the air (1-15/2)
Creative Creations Challenges  – It must be love (1-17/2)
The Ribbon Carousel  - Love is in the air (1-28/2)
My time to Craft – Decoupage (1-15/2)

 

Often on cards with this type of theme red is the dominant colour, but I decided to try something "softer".  The decoupage image is from Kim MacFarlane / Cuddly Buddly Crafts.  I've had it in my stash for ages but never got around to using it.  The background sheet was a freebie from the lovely Jak Heath - I think it was called peony pretty 13.  Jak often gives away freebie sheets she's designed and her blog is full of fabulous cards and helpful tutorials, why not take a look - it's one of my favourites.

 

Hope you like my card.  Till next time.

Liv

My New Toy - Advanced Tape Glider

Hooray, I have a new toy.  I've contemplated buying one of these double sided tape guns for a while and when I saw this one on offer I just had to have it!

The Advanced Tape Glider cost £9.99 inc VAT including two rolls of tape direct from the 3M site.  I have added the link below in case anyone else out there is looking to buy one.
3mdirect.co.uk - scotch-advanced-tape-glider-kit

Hope this is helpful.
Liv

Charmed Cards & Crafts Challenge

I am entering this card into the January Challenge on Charmed Cards & Crafts Blog for the chance to win a set of beautiful Marianne Dies.  The theme of the challenge is "cards for teenagers or older children".

I (like many others out there) find making cards for men a challenge but a card for a Teenage Boy until now I have found almost impossible, then I discovered that http://www.mosdigitalpencil.com/ did some excellent digistamps for boys.  The image I have used is called Simon, which I have coloured using Promarkers.

Thanks for looking.  Till next time.
Liv

Challenge Entry

This is a card I've made for a Card Challenge.  The theme of the Challenge is "Love".  The image is a "Dottie and George" digistamp, which I think is rather cute.

 

 

Although I don't think I will win the challenge I thought that entering challenges might be good for me.  I don't have much confidence in my work and am rarely satisfied with something I've made.  It's similar with this Blog, it's making me focus on putting my cards out there and if I get some feedback all the better.  If anyone out there is reading this and would like to leave me a comment that would be great.



Liv

Tips when using intricate dies

Just thought I'd mention a couple of things I find helpful when cutting with intricate dies like the Anja's Squares shown in my earlier post. 

If you find that your diecut isn't easily removed from the die, try rubbing the metal die prior to use with a tumble dryer sheet.  This seems to coat the die with an invisible surface that stops the card sticking.  Repeat the process after a couple of cuts.

After using the tumble dryer sheet on the metal die, if you still struggle to remove the diecut and usually end up picking it out with a pin or pricking tool, try instead a ball of blu-tac just pressed onto the diecut.  I usually find this dislodges the card easily and I don't end up tearing them as often.

If you find that the design doesn't cut completely on the first pass of the cuttlebug, being careful not to move the cut inside the die, rotate the die 90 degrees on the cutting plate and run it back through.  Often the failure to cut the design completely is caused by the bend in the cutting plates.  Rotating the die and passing it through the cutter a second time usually eliminates this.

Hope you found the above helpful.
Liv

Anja's Squares

I've just got a new die set for my cuttlebug - Marianne Designs Anja's Squares (LR0242).  This set is generally available in the UK for about £20 and consists of five dies.  I can see that several of the dies will be useful by themselves but so I could test them for the first time I just used them all together to make the card below.

The card stock has a beautiful shimmer finish.  I used 3D pads to raise the intricate cut layer slightly and finished the card simply with just a few stick on gems. 

Thanks for looking.

My First Post

Well this is it - my first ever attempt at blogging!  The question is, what shall I say now? 

I think I will just post a picture of a card I'm entering in this month's General Card Challenge at World of Crafters.  If you have never heard of the site before, it's free to join and everyone posts photos of their work for others to comment on.  They run 3 challenges a month covering general cards, iris folding and teabag folding.  It's a great place to get some inspiration if your mojo is flagging a bit!

The theme for this month in the general card category is "roses".  I have gone for a very Clean and Simple (CAS) design.  The image is from a craft studio CD and the border is created using a Fiskars border punch.  I hope you like it.

(Not sure the quality of my photo is up to much - Sorry.  Will have to work on that!!)

Thanks for looking.
Till next time, enjoy crafting.
Liv