docrafts Blog: Card Makers Challenge Winner

docrafts Blog: Card Makers Challenge Winner: A winner has been chosen for the Card Makers Challenge we ran on 22nd August. Thank you to everyone who entered! CONGRATULATIONS NICOLA ...

Triple Flower Easel Card

I wanted to make use of my Papermania Capsule Collection - Spots & Stripes Brights and I also wanted to try a triple-easel card, so thought the two would work well together.  This summery card also uses Papermania Glitterations and Whispers black dye ink.

First I found a clip art flower outline and created the easel template using Photoshop.  I then printed this at 15cm, 12cm and 9cm along with separate flowers the same sizes and cut them all out.  I also inked the easels with black ink to disguise the print outlines.

Next I chose three spotty papers and glued them to the bottoms of the easels, then three stripy papers and glued them to the separate flowers.  I inked all the edges with black to tie in with the rest of the easel. 

To decorate the smallest flower I glued two big bloomers and a button to the separate flower before glueing it to the easel stand. I then glued ribbon, buttons and a bow to the bottom. 

For the middle flower I stuck two Glitterations candles to the top left then glued two ribbons at angles across the middle. I added a couple of bows and Glitterations sentiment to finish off before glueing the flower to the easel stand. 

To decorate the largest flower I added a Glitterations sentiment to a notelet and some mini buttons down the side.  I created a ribbon flower using 5cm lengths, folded and glued to a button. I glued this to the bottom of the notelet then attached it to the flower with 3D foam pads.

Once all the easels were decorated I glued them together at the bottom. Starting with the smallest flower, they can all be laid flat for posting. 

I would like to enter this card into the follwing competitions:

1. DoCrafts - Anything Goes

2. One Stop Craft Challenge - #240 Spots & Dots

3. Challenges 4 Everybody - #27 Anything Goes

4. Creative Craft Challenges 2 - 17 Not A Square

5. Fab 'n' Funky - #182 You Can Stick It

6. Polkadoodles - All Things Bright and Beautiful

7. Paper Creator's Crafts - #13 Anything Goes

8. Cards Galore - August Bingo (sentiment, summer, ribbon)

Home Sweet Home Frame

Very occasionally I like to step away from cards and decorate some frames. Usually I make them as gifts for other people, but thought I'd make one for myself for a change. I was inspired by the decorative cupcake cases that are fashionable at the moment, but as you can't keep cake...

For this box frame I have used Papermania Scrumptious patterned paper, Little Venice Cupcake Company cupcake wrappers, Gorjuss mini buttons, cotton wool, pink shimmer chalk, red velvet, silk leaf & plastic stem, Whispers ink and Glitz It white fine glitter. The font used is KG Strawberry Limeade.

To start I took the card aperture out of the box frame and covered it with striped paper, then stuck some cream card behind.  To make the cupcake I first printed and cut a template from white card, then separated the bottom and top. On the bottom I glued sprinkles patterned paper then cut the cupcake wrapper to size and wrapped it around for a 3D effect.  On the top I glued cotton wool to form the frosting.  I dusted this with pink shimmer chalk and white glitter.  For the cherry I cut a small circle of red velvet and made a hole for the stem, which I glued a silk leaf to, then wrapped it round cotton wool and sewed together.  I then glued this to the cupcake and glued the cupcake within the aperture. 

To finish I printed the sentiment onto pink paper and cut it into a banner shape, inking the edges with brown then glueing to the bottom of the aperture.  I threaded some cream cotton through mini buttons and glued these either side of the sentiment. 

I would like to enter this frame into the following challenges:

1. One Stop Craft Challenge - #239 Add Stripes

2. Challenges 4 Everybody - #27 Anything Goes

3. Creative Craft Challenges 2 - 17 Not A Square

4. My Time To Craft - #231 Aperture

Halloween Card

Crafting tools have changed so much since I started making cards.  I've always used stamps, but only discovered the world of digistamps when I started blogging. There are so many amazing images available and it's great to be able to get something different to use straight away without having to go to the shops or wait for delivery. 
This Halloween card features Witchy Susie by Lacy Sunshine Stamps (Heather Valentin), and uses X-Cut Multi Shaper Punch (Lace) and Papermania buttons.  I've only used minimum embellishments to keep the focus on the image. 

First I printed the image and coloured with watercolour pencils.  Then I measured around to give approximately 1cm border and cut out, rounding the corners.  I drew a faux-stitched edge for interest. 
I cut a 15x20cm card blank from orange card and also gave this a faux-stictched edge.  Using the Multi Shaper punch, I cut a rectangle 3 punches by 2 (which is approx 10x15cm) from black card.  I was originally going to glue this straight with the image straight inside, but after some fiddling around I decided it looked quite good at an angle.  I attached the image using 3D foam pads on the opposite angle. 
To make the flower, I cut 1x6cm strips (6 of each) from black and orange card, folded and glued the edges then layered them up in a flower shape.  To finish this off I added a button to the centre, which I drew some faux-stitching onto. 
For the finishing touch I added three Gorjuss mini buttons to the bottom left of the card. 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
1. Cute Card Thursday - 282 Button Up
2. Challenges 4 Everybody - #27 Anything Goes
3. Crafts and Me - Anything Goes

Steampunk Balloon Square Easel Card

Had to do another session using my new goodies from #GBCF.  Really liking the Steampunk look at the moment, so this was my inspiration.

Some items I already had, but new items are:

• Bronze Pearlescent card - Craft4Less Ltd
• Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals - A1 Crafts
• Papermania Chronology Decoupage, Brads & Urban Stamp - Crafty Devils
• Metal Cogs - MDF Man (can't find them on the website though)
• Acetate Butterfly - Inkylicious (not on the website, but they do have butterfly stamps which could be used on acetate)

To start, I cut 15cmx30cm from the bronze card and scored then folded in half to create a 15cm square card.  I then scored and folded the top in half to create the easel stand.  I cut a separate 15cm square to attach to the stand. 

I stamped the cogs to cover the whole square using Colorbox MICAMAGIC Antique Gold then heat embossed the clear crystals to give a raised texture. 

I coloured the balloon decoupage using watercolour pencils then layered with 3D foam pads.  I bent this slightly in the middle to give it further dimension and attached to the left of the square using differing height 3D foam pads. 

Using 1mm foam pads I attached the smaller, uncoloured balloon to the top right.  

I coloured an acetate butterfly using permanent pens, allowed to dry then added glitter glue towards the centre. At the outer edges of the wings I painted Ranger Distress Crackle Paint and allowed to dry. Some of this did come off once dried, but I think it gives a nice cracked glass look. 

Taking two cogs plus some gromlets and brads, I arranged these with the acetate butterfly at the bottom right before attaching. Once everything was in place I glued the square to the easel stand. 

For the bottom of the card, I attached a square of light brown card, then added some ribbon across the bottom and the sentiment on top of that. 

To finish off I attached some black pearls to create stoppers for the easel. 

I would like to enter this card into the following competitions:

1. Cards Galore - Bingo (sentiment, die-cut & embossing)

2. Crafts and Me - #139 Anything Goes

3. Great Impressions - Square Card

4. Allsorts - Use new stash

5. Joanna Sheen - Embossing

The Great British Craft Festival

On Saturday I went to my very first craft festival at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire - The Great British Craft Festival, hosted by Hunkydory Crafts. 
It was a great day out away from being a mum!  I attended a couple of make and take sessions, which were a nice break from wandering around all the stalls. 
This is the first card I have made using some of the goodies from the show (plus some I already had).
Sentiment and picture - Hunkydory Crafts Christmas Cuties 'Fun in the snow' (this collection was the show free gift & not yet available to buy)
Twine - Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas, Traditional
Pegs - Helz Cuppleditch Special Delivery Mini Pegs
Snowfall acetate - Hunkydory Crafts

First I cut an A5 size card from 12x12 red textured card stock and decided where I wanted my aperture, which I cut using Fiskars Shapecutter. Then I glued the snowball scene picture on the inside of the card to show through the aperture.
Next I cut a larger circle from snowfall acetate and glued it to the underside of the aperture to create a window. To give a nice edge to the window, I plaited all three twine colours and made a bow at the bottom. 
I set three green eyelets in the top left corner of the card, threaded doubled-up green twine through these and knotted the ends to hold. I took one length across the top and one length down the left side and glued the ends at the back.  To hold the sentiment card, I attached two mini pegs to the twine and glued them down. 
For the finishing touches to the front of the card I added a few outline sticker snowflakes.  To finish the inside I cut a shape from white card, inked the edge with a silver marker and glued it next to the picture.  This is the area to write on as the red textured card doesn't make the best writing surface.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
1. Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
2. My Time To Craft - #231 Aperture

Twisted Easel Card

As I'm now starting to make more cards from scratch, I'm looking for different folds and layouts and came across a circular twisted easel card so thought I'd give it a go.  
This card has been decorated using Papermania Classical Handmade Papers, plus Anita's Outline Stickers.  I really love these papers as they come in my favourite colour combos of black, white and pink and they're made of 100% cotton with great flocked designs. 

First I used a template to cut the main card shape plus three extra circles, then folded the top circles to create the easel stands.  I covered the lower circles with spotty black & white paper, two of the extra circles with stripy black & white paper and the last circle with flowery black & pink paper.  The stripy circles were then glued to the stands.
I cut a rose and some rosebuds from black & pink paper and glued them to black card for support.  The large rose I glued to the left easel circle. 
To decorate the right circle I inked an outline sticker sentiment with Jet Black Stazon Ink, but only partially so the gold would show through and give a slightly distressed look.  I stuck a butterfly to pink card, cut out and inked in the same way.  I added the sentiment to a tag made with white card and inked the edges, then set an eyelet, threaded twine through and added a couple of heart stickers.  I attached this to the circle using 3D foam pads, then slotted the rosebuds behind.  I bent the butterflies wings up and just attached it by the body to give it dimension. 
To finish off, I added an outline sticker sentiment to the final circle and attached it to the lower portion of the card using 3D foam pads to create a stopper. 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
1. Cute Card Thursday - 280 Anything Goes
2. Challenges 4 Everybody - #26 Anything Goes
3. Card Makin' Mamas - Black, White Plus 1 Color

A Beary Simple Christmas

I don't usually start making Christmas cards this early but there are so many cute images around at the moment, I couldn't resist this one. 
The card and tags are decorated using a Bugaboo Stamps Benji Bear plus papers, flower and embellishments from DoCrafts.

The patterned paper I have used is quite 'busy', so I have kept the card very simple to keep focal attention on the image. 
Starting with a red card blank, I cut the paper to fit and glued down, leaving a gap around the edge. 
I used a Fiskars shape cutter to cut three ovals from green patterned paper. I glued these onto red card and cut out to form borders.  I printed the image three times onto white card - one large and two small - then coloured them with watercolour pencils, brushed with water and cut them out.  I attached these to the centre of the ovals using 3D foam pads, then glued the one with the big image onto the card. 
I cut a strip from green snowflake paper and punched holes along the centre, then knotted some twine and threaded it through the holes, knotting at the other end. I inked the edge with dark green then attached it to the bottom of the card using 3D foam pads.  To give the poinsettia a bit of sparkle, I dipped a brad in some PVA glue and gold glitter before attaching it to the card.  
To complete the tags I punched holes all around the edges and threaded twine through, knotting at the top. 
Finally I added some fine white glitter to the white areas of the hats on all bears. 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
1. Polkadoodles - Week 30 Christmas In July
2. Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - #180 Make A Set
3. Paper Creators Crafts - #12 Just Bears
4. Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - #44 Animals
5. The Crafter's Cafe - 22 Anything Goes
6. Cute Card Thursday - 280 Anything Goes