Calendar Prep

... Hello! I hope everyone has had an enjoyable holiday period. We had a good time. It's always fun to be with family. At this time of year, I spend time getting my Filofax, calendars and Dyalogs ready for the new year. Today I've been working on my January calendar page:

Stamps: MFT - Festive Fireworks, Champagne Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Passionate Pink, Red Hot, Blue Raspberry, Sweet Mango, Wild Dandelion, Bubblegum Pink, Ocean Mist, Blue Lagoon, Grass Green, Key Lime, Lovely Lavender, Applemint, Wild Wisteria; Versafine Clair - Nocturne, Summertime, Glamorous, Paradise, Verdant, Charming Pink, Blue Belle, Purple Delight, Fantasia

Accessories: 2023 Calandar Blank

I'm submitting this to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#45 - it's all brand new!!

I had so much fun creating the firework background. I stamped the larger fireworks first, layering the stamps is quite easy and even if not perfect, they still look fab. I then added some of the smaller fireworks and finished by adding lots of little fireworks/stars. I finished by adding a message to the new year. 

I sincerely hope that 2023 is a better year for our family, as this year has not been the best! That's probably an understatement of things, but we are all better now and moving forward. That's it for today. See you soon.

SHC - Happy Birthday

.... Hello! It's time for my Seven Hills Craft blog post. Today I'm sharing a birthday card:

Stamps: Stamping Village - Happy Birthday Greetings; Avery Elle - Inside Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Sea Glass, Turquoise Sea, Tranquil Teal; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Concord & 9th - Stitched Polka Dot Card Front, Simply You; Altenew - Just a Number

Accessories: SU Card - Bermuda Bay; White Card; Silver Textured Mirri Card; Imagine - Sheer Sheer Frost; Copic Markers; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#12, and to AAA Cards - AAA#230 where they have a mood board - I've picked the teal colour from the board.

I used dark teal card from my stash to make an A2 US size note card. I cut a piece of white card to 4¼" x 5½" and put the stitched polka dot die plate on it and ran it through my Big Shot. I then used a scallop edge die to cut out the centre of the panel. I inked on several shades of teal ink to emphasise the scallop edge and define the polka dot pattern. I adhered the panel to the front of the note card. I used a die to create the birthday greeting - the shadow from dark teal card and the words from silver textured mirri card. Prior to adding the words to the card, I spritzed the front with a clear shimmer spray. Inside the card, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the note card. I inked the edges of the white panel to match the front of the card. I used my MISTI to stamp the balloon greeting, removed it and used Copic markers to colour the balloons. I replaced it in the MISTI and stamped again in dark black ink and added a smaller birthday greeting below it.

This card is for my niece Georgia, she's 22 years old tomorrow. Fortunately, I don't have to post it to her. Her parents are coming to our place tomorrow for an early Christmas celebration. It's been so cold here, but we've been lucky and had no snow. It might even snow for our celebration!! That's all from me today. See you soon.

SHC - Birthday Flowers

... Good morning!! It's been a while since I posted here - life got very busy and I simply ran out of time to make a card. However, I'm here today with my Seven Hills Craft post and I've made a birthday card:

Stamps: Altenew - Calming Cluster; C&9 - Yay for Birthdays; The Greetery - Sentiment Suite - Birthdays

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Wild Dandelion, Dusty Rose; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Altenew - Calming Cluster

Accessories: White Card; Concord & 9th - Confetti Dots Turnabout Stencil; Copic Markers; Gold Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to a couple of challenges - Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - HLSBC#12 where it's Anything Goes, and AAA Birthday - AAAB#44 - where the theme is Embossing.

I used my MISTI to stamp the large flower cluster onto white card. I removed the piece and coloured the image with Copic markers. I returned the coloured imaged to the MISTI and stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold powder. I used the matching die to cut out the finished piece along with two white pieces. I layered these pieces together to give the flower image stability and dimension. On a  white note card measuring 4½" x 6¼" I used the Confetti Dots Turnabout stencil to add a subtle grey background. I adhered the flowers to the card and finished the front by stamping a simple vertical greeting in black ink. Inside the card, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the base. On this panel I stamped a fun two-step greeting in pink and yellow, and finished by adding two smaller messages in black ink.

This card is for my friend Cheryl - she lives in Florida, so I'm sending it now. Postal strikes permitting, Cheryl should get the card on time!!

It's very cold here in North Wales - we've had our first frosts of winter, but yesterday was gorgeous with bright sunshine too! That's all from me today. See you soon.

SHC - Birthday Cards for my Great Nephew

.... Morning. It's time for my Seven Hills Craft blog post. This week I've got a couple of birthday cards to share. My great-nephew, Nico-Lewis, will be 6 years old in December and I decided to make his cards early and get them in the post - hopefully they'll arrive on time and beat the postal strike!! Here's the first card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Make Some Noise, Yay for Birthdays

Inks: Gina K - Bubblegum Pink, Lipstick, Tangerine Twist, Wild Dandelion, Lucky Clover, Ocean Mist, Blue Raspberry, Wild Wisteria, Dark Lilac; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: C&9 - Make Some Noise

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - HLSAGD#11.

This was such fun to make. I used the Make Some Noise dies to cut all the pieces to make the noisemakers - I used white card for all the pieces. I coloured the pieces with Copic markers. I used the instructions on the back of the pack to assemble the noise makers. I used one of the greetings from the matching stamp set. This is a two-step image - with one of the stamps having the words 'happy, happy' directly above the letters - as I wanted to stamp each letter in a different colour, I carefully cut the 'happy, happy' words off the letters. I stamped the word 'birthday' in rainbow colours and then added a rainbow confetti border around the edge of an A2 notecard. I finished the front by adhering the two noisemakers to the card. Inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the A2 notecard. On it I stamped a greeting in black and added some more rainbow confetti.

I made another card - this one will be going to Nico-Lewis from his Grand-Nanna:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Out of this World, Yay for Birthdays; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Blue Lagoon, Key Lime, Medium Orchid; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: C&9 - Out of this World

Accessories: White Card; Silver Matte Card; Copic Markers; Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#497 where they have a sketch for us to use. I'm also playing along with Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - HLSBC#11.

I cut a piece of card 5½" square, placed it on my stamping jig and stamped the starscape with four different inks. I trimmed the panel to fit on the front of an A2 notecard. Before adding the panel to the notecard, I stamped on a simple birthday greeting in black ink. I die cut the spaceship body from silver matte card and the other pieces from white card which I coloured with Copic markers. Once assembled, I added the spaceship to the notecard. I finished the front by adding a touch of sparkle to the windows and flames. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of silver card. On the white panel I added a fun greeting a some stars.

I think these stamp and dies set are such fun - they make cards perfect for children, both boys and girls. But to be honest, I think they're going to work for my son Ben - he'll be 27 in January!!!

That's all from me today. Thanks so much for stopping by. See you again soon.

SHC - Christmas Snowflake

... Hello! It's time for my Seven Hills Craft blog post. I'm very, very behind making Christmas cards this year - you all know why!! So, yesterday, I decided to make a set of ten cards - all quick and easy - and all using just three sets of stamps. Here they are:

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Winter Wishes Snowflake, Savvy Sentiments Merry Everything, Savvy Sentiments Holiday Wishes

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne, Cheerful; Gina K - Sea Glass, Lovely Lavender, Sweet Mango, Applemint, Powder Blue; Memento - Angel Pink; Delicata - Silvery Shimmer; Kaleidacolor - Pastel, Caribbean Sea

Accessories: White Card

I'm submitting three of the cards to three different challenges:

• The square card to Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - HLSXMAS#11 where it's anything goes - I've skipped the optional Santa.
• The corner silver snowflake to Perfectly CAS - PCAS#33 where the theme is Snowflakes and to use only a third of less of the card.
• The multi teal corner snowflake to The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - H&ICC#128 where it's anything Christmas goes.

I put the large snowflake in the centre of my MISTI and simply by putting the notecards into different places in the MISTI, I was able to stamp the snowflake in various places on the note cards - using different inks for each card. I selected a number of greetings to finish off the cards and stamped them in bold black ink. At present the inside of all the cards is blank. However, I may yet go back and add a greeting inside.

That's all from me today. See you soon.

SHC - Birthday Confetti

... Morning!! It's time for my weekly Seven Hills Craft blog post. This week's post is a bit special as the birthday card I made is for Tara - owner of Seven Hills Crafts. Here's the card:

Stamps: C&9 - Yay for Birthdays

Inks: Gina K - Powder Blue, Wild Dandelion, Tomato Soup, Kraft, Peach Bellini, Sandy Beach, Blue Denim; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: C&9 - Yay for Birthday, Simply You

Accessories: White & Black Card; C&9 Turnabout Stencil - Confetti Dots; Glitter

I'm submitting this card to Cupcake Inspirations Challenge - CIC#556 where the theme is Anything Goes, and also to Sunday Stamps Challenge - SSC#295 where they have a colour challenge.

I took a piece of white card 5½" square, placed it in the centre of my jig and put it in the corner of my MISTI. I put mark on one corner of the Turnabout stencil and then placed it on top of the card and jig. I then applied the yellow ink. Then, instead of turning the card and jig as I would with turnabout stamps, I simply turned the stencil through 90 degrees and repeated the process with the remaining inks. I used a scallop and stitch edge die to cut a panel from this stencilled piece. I also die cut a piece of black card which I cut diagonally and adhered the two pieces behind the panel - creating a black shadow layer. I adhered the whole piece to the front of an A2 note card. I stamped a birthday greeting at the bottom of the panel. I die cut the cupcake from white card and used the matching stamps to add colour to the pieces. I die cut some extra cupcakes onto which I layered the inked cupcake. I adhered the finished cupcake to the card and added a touch of glitter. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped a birthday greeting and some confetti exploding from the greeting.

Provided Royal Mail was working okay, Tara should have received this card yesterday - on her actual birthday. If not, this is a surprise!! 

I'd like to thank everyone who has left comments on my blog - I really do appreciate each and every one. That's all for now. See you again soon.

SHC - Exclamations!!

.... Morning! I'm here with my Seven Hills Craft blog post. This week I've been playing with my new Exclamations Turnabout stamp - you all know I love turnabout stamps. Here's my first card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Exclamation Turnabout, Good Vibes Turnabout, Snail Mail

Inks: Gina K Electro Pop - Loud Lime, Orange Glow, Screamin' Green, Potent Purple; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: C&9 - Exclamation

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copic Markers; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#250 where the theme is to use Halloween colours.

I used fluorescent inks to create the background panel - I love this graphic design - perfect for a teenage boy. I cut the panel to be slightly smaller than an A2 note card. I edged it with a black marker and adhered it to the note card. I used the matching dies to create the birthday greeting. The dies cut the black shadow layer, the white words and there's a separate die for the word birthday. I die cut the word 'birthday' from white card and used Copic markers to colour the letters. Once glued to the greeting I added a touch of sparkle to the letters. For the inside I cut another white panel onto which I stamped a greeting - made up from old and new stamp sets. 

While I had the Exclamations turnabout stamp in my MISTI, I made a couple more panels.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Exclamation Turnabout, Painted Sayings

Inks: Gina K - Prickly Pear, Turquoise Sea; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Bermuda Bay

I'm submitting this card to Color Hues - CH#52 and Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#44.

I made the note card from dark turquoise card stock. I stamped the turnabout twice to give a simpler background pattern. I stamped a bold greeting on the front and adhered the panel to the front of the card. On the white panel inside the card, I added a simple greeting in the corner. Lots of space for my message.

Next is a clean and simple card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Exclamation Turnabout

Inks: Gina K - Innocent Pink, Sweetcorn, Soft Stone; Memento - New Sprout

Dies: C&9 - Everyday Sayings

Accessories: White & Black Card

I'm submitting this to Color Throwdown - CTD#717. I do like the soft colours.

This time I decided to die cut the word 'hello' from the turnabout background. I used dies to cut the black shadow layer and the word. I adhered them together and added them to the front of an A2 white note card. This is nice clean, simple card with lots of space inside for my message.

That's all from me today. See you again soon.