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.