A hole in one

'A hole in one' is this week's Daring cardmakers challenge (just scraping in on time - again!). We were encouraged to use punches and die cuts in the reverse, use the part that's left, the hole!

I used a nestie label die to cut the aperture in a shaped card blank, randomly stamping with the Lindsay Mason cherry blossom stamp and colouring with copics. I then used a smaller nestie label die to cut the shape to go into the middle, stamping and colouring the fan, edging the die cut and then framing it with a larger cut out.

I'm not happy with this and would make it again if I had time (perhaps I'll do that tomorrow). Having coloured the front of the card with copics I found, of course, that the colours had bled through the card, so I tried to cut a corresponding piece from another card blank to stick on the inside to cover up the copics bleed, but it isn't precise enough. If I made it again I would cut the hole in the front and the spare piece for inside at the same time so it matched perfectly.

Update: I've made another one that was a bit more successful, this time using a white card blank - oh well, I tried!

This is also for:

Corrosive 151: feeling punchy - 2 or more punches and/or dies
Try it on Tuesday: anything goes
Tuesday throwdown 103: window cards
PaperPlay 25: use a die

Summer birthday

It's the longest day today, so 'high summer' - what a joke! Although, to be fair, following the rain and the dull day, the sun is actually out now. When thoughts turn to summer we tend to think of hot days and ice creams to cool us down, hence this card.

This is based on Sketches by Carly 58:

All papers used are from my offcuts box - another one for  Pixie's crafty snippets 25  - and, no, Di, my snippets pile doesn't seem to be any less - perhaps it's because I keep adding to it - lol! The sentiment panel is DCWV and all the other papers are Basic Grey cupcake.

This is also for:

My craft spot 60: cool treats
Penny's 82: ice cream
The crafty pad 175: food
All kinds of cards 56: card with no stamp
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 9: summer
Love to create 20: summertime fun
Crazy amigo: summer colours
Deep ocean 28: welcome summer
The stamping boutique: jump into summer
Cute card Thursday 222: here comes summer
Fun with shapes and more 111: summer (label die shapes at the top and cut out ices added to the sentiment panel
LiaStampz 19: summer
Raise the bar 107: hello summer
Our daily bread 112: summer
Sparkles 33: summer fun
I brake for challenges: I brake for summer fun
Totally Gorjuss 136: holidays
Going grey with scrap-creations: vacation
Lexi 67: happy birthday
Moving along with the times: happy birthday
PaperPlay 25: use a die
Great impressions 4: die cuts or punches
Divas by design 40: to 'die' for
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 63
52 card pick up 24

My cup of tea

Did you see this picture on my facebook wall? Mug and somewhere to put the tea bag from Poundland - I couldn't resist buying these:

One layer Wednesday 93 challenge is asking us to make a card based on something 'in the kitchen'. I had a little 'light bulb' moment and thought about making a card with a cup of tea, so I've used a Kanban stamp, simply inked with memento tuxedo black, with just the tea coloured with a copic. With the addition of the sentiment and the steam, both from the Kanban 'coffee shop' set, the card was finished.

I have to admit though that this was my third attempt because I got black marks in wrong places on the first and second attempts - however, the cards won't be wasted because I can fully cover with patterned papers.

Very difficult to get a photo of the white card, especially as it's a rainy day here.

This is also for:

Ruby's rainbow 31: black, white + 1 other colour only
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 21: clean and simple
Crafty ribbons 22: clean and simple
Whoopsi Daisy: use those swirls
Blog a doodle: swirls
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Robyn's fetish 112: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Delightful: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 63
52 card pick up 24

Graduate George

For this card I've loosely used Lizzie's sketch given for the sketchy challenges 25 on Pinkink:

Papers are from my offcuts - another for Pixie's crafty snippets 25 - the retro black and white background paper is DCWV from years ago, the strip with scalloped edge created on my rotatrim is guy's life and the torn oval behind the image is MME Andrea Victoria black damask. The card blank is a navy blue.

The digital image is from Charmed cards and crafts called 'graduate George', cut with a nestie die.

Colours are for The play date cafe challenge: black, white, blue:

This is also for:

Perfect sentiments 37: graduate
Amusing challenges: father's day (any male card)
Dream valley 34: for that special guy
There's magic in the air magical Monday: one for the boys
Crafting for all seasons 29: for man
My mum's craft shop 62: about the boys
CCEE 1225: masculine cards
Bloggers challenge: for the men
Crafts4eternity R76: dashing dads or male
Fussy & fancy 65: boy attitude
Stuck on u die cut challenge: all about fathers (male)
Nutcrafters 20: spots and/or stripes
Divas by design 40: to 'die' for
PaperPlay 25: use a die
Card mad fairy's digi days 35: father's day or something masculine
Delicious doodles 21: for the fellas
Cardmakin mamas 47: father's day or special man
My Sheri 87: father's day or any masculine card
Desmet designs June: for the men and boys
S J crafts 5: all about the boy + extra: use up something old that's been in your stash a while - everything!
Scrappy frogs: celebrate men
Di's digi designs: we're going spotty and dotty
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 21: clean and simple
Crafty ribbons 22: clean and simple
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Robyn's fetish 112: anything goes
Daisy doodles 62: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Delightful: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 63
52 card pick up 24

I think I need another cuppa now!

Summer paper piecing

I don't very often paper piece (I find it fiddly and I'm not very good at it), but decided to take some time this

morning and give it a go again. I chose a stamp that has had very little use, mainly because I can never think what to do with it. It's by Magenta - I love their stamps, which is why I bought it in the first place.

I found some yellow snippets in my offcuts box and stamped and cut out etc. I then paper pierced (yes, with an 'r' in it this time - lol!) the top and bottom of a piece of DCWV textured card using part of a template that I've had for years (don't know when it was last used). This is another opportunity to play hopscotch in the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 25.

The background polka dot paper is froom the Raspberry Road designs papers that came with a recent Cardmaking & papercraft magazine. A scalloped strip of birthday greeting and the card was done.

I'm linking this for:

Annabelle: say it with paper piecing
Wags n whiskers 81: paper piecing
Allsorts 159: paper piecing and piercing
Dare to be sassy 130: fun in the sun - monochrome yellow
PanPastel UK 23: summertime
Celebrate the occasion 67: welcome summer

Suzie's 365 photos day 173: same ... but different, final day

I have to admit that my photo for day 173 was taken yesterday (while Ellie was in a photo shoot mood!). She was naughty because she hopped up on to the kitchen work surface to get at my yummy chocolate:

I think she needs to go back on to her shelf now before she causes any more mischief!