Technique Time Tuesday - Caught In Crystal

The technique for March at Technique Time Tuesday is Caught In Crystal. Now this is something that I've wanted to have a go at for ages but never got around to and I'm cutting it a little fine for the challenge but I managed to have a little play today and this is what I've come up with. There's a great video tutorial as usual but for my card I've used some Klear floor polish instead of the glossy accents

I missed the launch of these Sue Wilson dies and stamps and I think even if I'd seen them I wouldn't have been interested. But last week I was in Emerald Crafts in Lyndhurst and there were some samples as you come into the shop and I was hooked.

Sue Wilson Seville dies
Stamps to Die For Birdsong Meadow
Crafty Notions Citrine Spraypaque
Perfect Pearls Sunflower Sparkle Mist
Stampin Up Dazzling Diamonds
Klear floor poslish

Still Going Round in Circles

This is another card for the CD Sunday challenge Going Round in Circles. It's a similar theme to my last card and another image from Joanna Sheen's Faye Whittaker Collection

Faye Whittaker CD
Cuttlebug Candy Cane embossing folder
Bakers Twine
Scalloped Circle Nestie

Going Round in Circles at CD Sunday

They're Going Round in Circles at CD Sunday and as soon as I saw this challenge I had an idea and found the perfect image on Joanna Sheen's Nostalgia Collection Faye Whittaker CD. I've followed this sketch from Sketch Saturday

And here is my card

Joanna Sheen's Faye Whittaker Collection
Craftwork Cards sentiment
Scalloped circle Nesties
Raspberry Road Love Lives Here paper pad
Gems and lace from my stash

Gone Fishing at Cardz 4 Guyz

It's Tuesday so it's time for another challenge at Cardz 4 Guyz and this week Janice has chosen the theme Gone Fishing. I've used this sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday

I wanted to go for something a little different to the normal fishing scenes so I've gone for this little kitty fishing in the gold fish bowl from Tiddly Inks. This fish charm is an old earring I've had in my stash for years

So please pop over to see what the other team members have created to inspire you. We'd love to see your take on this challenge but please remember that this is a challenge for your masculine creations


Tiddly Ink Cat Love Fever image
Smirk For Him backing paper
Circular Nesties
Joy Craft oval dies
Embossalicious Chevron folder

Marbelling At Technique Twist

I've not been able to play along with the Technique Twist for a few weeks but at the weekend I had a go at the Shaving Foam Marbelling technique. Instead of reinkers I've used some Glimmer Mists to colour my foam and the sheen it gives is lovely. This is the two sheets I ended up with

I wasn't sure how to use them and then I saw this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

And this is what I came up with

Sunlight Mist & Lava Red Cosmic Shimmer Mists

Indigo Blu Poppy Meadow stamp set

A Stitch In Time at The Butterfly Challenge

I was sorting through some stash that had been hidden away and came across my Spring Card templates and stencils so thought I'd have a go with them for the Butterfly Challenge - A Stitch In Time . It's ages since I've used brass stencils and it was so nice going back to an old technique. The brass stencils are great as they have a different pattern in each corner but it does mean that you can't use them in your machine if you want the same corners so it was out with the light box. The thread is very sparkly as it's metallic and I've used a Wink Of Stalla clear brush on the butterfly but neither show their beauty in the picture

Spring Card template and stencil
Multi-coloured metallic thread
Crafty Individuals butterfly die
Tattered Lace Everyday words die
Wink of Stella clear brush
Papermania Amethyst Infusion paper pad
Gems from stash

Mother, Mum, Mummy for CD Sunday

I'm still trying to use up bits and pieces from my desk so I've sorted through some images that I've printed previously and thought this one was ideal for the Mother's challenge at CD Sunday. It's from the animal section of the Morehead CD.

I have based it on this sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches but I'm not sure if I've added too much to qualify

And here is my card

Morehead CD
Cuttlebug Retro Kitchen embossing folder
Marianne Design frame and swirl dies
Tattered Lace Circus Alphabet die
X-cut leaf punch
Gems and flowers from my stash

Happy Birthday Cuttlebug Mania - Let's Go Dotty

We're celebrating at Cuttlebug Mania as it's our first Birthday and we'd love you to join in. I wasn't part of the team at the beginning but I did enter all the challenges and I was actually the first entrant of the first challenge. I was so pleased when the girls asked me to join the team.

And as we're celebrating, the prize is a surprise but it's well worth winning.So make sure you pop over to the teams blogs and leave a comment after you have entered your card

Now, onto the challenge and our Birthday theme is Let's Go Dotty. You can use an embossing folder (who doesn't love Swiss Dots), dotty paper, dotty stamps - whatever you have. Just remember to let us know how you've used your die cutting machine

So here's my card - I just love this owl

Sizzix Bigz Owl #2
Spellbinders oval and circle dies
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
Papermania Spots and Stripes Pastel Capsule Collection

Cardz 4 Guyz - Use a Tag

It's Tuesday so time for another challenge at Cardz 4 Guyz and this week it's all about tags. We want to see your masculine tags or a card with a tag on it. FMy card is quite simple starting with the X-Cut Luggage Tags die cut from brown card then heat embossed  it with clear powder. I've used some gold mirror card for the buckle and stitched bakers twine around the tag. The sentiment is from Tim Holtz's Odds and Ends set and the backing paper from a My Minds Eye pad. I did have some travel charms out to add to it but decided to leave it simple as I wanted to leave the paper visible.

Simply Red at CD Sunday

I've not played along at many challenges this last couple of weeks but as I had an unexpected day at home today I've been up in the craft room sorting things out. I came across a load of images printed off and decided that this one is perfect for the CD Sunday Simply Red challenge. I didn't want to get all my Christmas bits out just yet so I've taken the Simply part of the challenge and made a very CAS card which is also perfect for the Christmas Card challenge this week and the Crimbo Crackers challenge which is Cute Christmas

The image is from Joanna Sheens Fury Friends and it's simply layered onto red and white card. The sentiment is by Pink Petticoat cut with a Stampin Up banner die

Butterfly Challenge - The Three B's

I've been staying in Southampton a lot recently and not had a lot of time in the craft room but I've just sneaked half and hour to make a quick card for the Butterfly Challenge. It's only the second challenge and we the three B's are Butterfly, Buttons and Bows. I've used a printed card blank which was free with a magazine. I've got one of the new Stampin Up tag punches so I cut a piece of cream card and punched the top and coloured it lightly with Distress Ink before spritzing with some glimmer mists. The tag is really glitzy but it doesn't show in the picture. The butterfly is cut from a scrap of Bazzill Bling with a Crafty Individual die. The buttons and bow from my stash

Words or a Name at Cardz 4 Guyz

It's Tuesday so time for another challenge at Cardz 4 Guyz and this week Julie has chosen Words or a Name so we want to see your masculine creations with a word or a Name prominently displayed

For my card I've used the Woodware Huge Golf stamp. These are a great set of stamps which I find particularly useful for masculine cards. I've stamped onto white card then a couple of different papers from a Paper Cellar pack and paper pieced them onto the white and lightly distressed the edges. The sentiment if from the same set and I've added some Card Candi to finish

We also have cards from two new team members this week lso there is plety of inspiration for you. Pease pop over to the Cardz 4 Guyz blog and see what the other members of the team have come up with

Cuttlebug Mania - Something For Mum

We've got a new challenge at Cuttlebug Mania and this time we'd like to see something to celebrate all those lovely Mothers out there. We are sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet and for my card I've used their Art Nouveau Vase 2 image. I thought this image was perfect for the Couture Creations Fudge embossing folder that I've used for the background. The letters are cut with a Sizzlit Neon alphabet die and layered with Joycraft oval dies

We look forward to seeing what you come up with and don't forget to tell us how you've used your die cutting machine

Cardz 4 Guyz - Nature Challenge

It's Tuesday so we have have another Cardz 4 Guyz challenge and this week we want to see your creations which reflect nature. There are so many options for this for masculine cards and for my card I've gone for this sweet image from Stampin Up's Touch of Nature set and stamped it in Vintage Sepia Versafine. The sentiment is from the same set but I can't remember the make of the embossing folder. The hesian strip is from my stash and I've finished it off with a some card card candi

Don't forget to pop over to the blog and see what the other girls have made.