SHC - Mother's Day Cards

..... Morning! It's time for my weekly Seven Hills Craft blog post. I've made a couple of Mother's day cards using products from lots of different companies. Here's my first card:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages; Reverse Confetti - Botanical Stamp; Altenew - Not for You; C&9 - Big on You

Inks: Gina K - Red Hot, Tangerine Twist, Wild Dandelion, Lucky Clover, Tranquil Teal, Wild Lilac; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages; Reverse Confetti - Botanical Dies

Accessories: White & Black Card; Lawn Fawn Stencils - Clover Background; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Crystal Gems

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#36 - most of the products are new stash!! I'm also submitting this to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#03 and to Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge - HLSSC#03 where it's anything Goes.

I know that the background stencil is supposed to be clover, but when I saw it, I saw lots and lots of pretty hearts all forming triangles! I cut a piece of white card to 3¾" x 5", positioned the first part of the stencil with the whole clovers and lightly blended on a rainbow of inks diagonally across the card. Next, I used the second stencil with only half of each leaf and repeated the ink blending with a heavier hand. This gives a lovely blended background of pretty rainbow hearts!! I layered the finished panel onto a mat of black card measuring 3⅞" x 5⅛" and added the whole piece to the front of a side-opening A2 notecard (US size). I used my MISTI to stamp the greeting, removed the image from the MISTI and coloured it with Copic markers. I returned the image to the MISTI, stamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then used the matching die to cut out the greeting. I used the same process to stamp, colour and cut out the flowers. I finished the front of the card with some clear crystal gems from my stash. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped 'I 💗 U' sentiment and added a sub-message, along with a vase of flowers. This is the card I made for my mum.

Next is the card I made for my wonderful mother-in-law:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages; The Greetery - Sentiment Suite - Birthday

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Sea Glass; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages

Accessories: White & Black Card; Altenew - Dotted Tile Cover Plate; Clear Shimmer Spray; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Color Hues - CH#37 where they want us to use yellow and soft teal.

I started by cutting a piece of white card and black card to the same dimensions as in the card above. I placed the white card onto the Dotted Tile plate and ran it through my BigShot. This is such a pretty impression. I lightly blended yellow ink in the centre and faded towards the edge, and added a soft teal at the bottom and top of the card - it reminds me of a bright sun in clear blue sky. I adhered the panel to the front of an A2 notecard. I spritzed the front with a clear shimmer spray - you can see it above. I used the method outlined above to stamp the greeting, only this time I coloured with just yellow and teal Copic markers. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped a greeting and added a couple of little flowers.

I took another photo of the card - holding it outside the window of my office with the sun shining on the card - you can just about see the shimmer in this photo, although I did have to darken the image a bit to see the shimmer.

I prepared this post last week as I was due to start chemotherapy on 17 March and I wasn't sure how I'd be feeling (I usually make my cards the weekend before my Wednesday post). Anyway, I went to hospital as planned but the team were unable to start a drip for me. Apparently I have rubbish veins. So this week I've had a PICC line put in place and I'll be starting my chemo tomorrow!!

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

SHC - Lots of Love

.... Morning! It's time for my Seven Hills Craft blog post. This week I have a Valentine's Day card to share with you. I completely forgot all about Valentine's Day, so last Monday, while Jonathan was busy working downstairs I made a card for him:

Stamps: C&9 - Big On You, Say Thanks Turnabout

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black

Dies: C&9 - Big On You, Say Thanks; Stitched Hearts Card Front Die

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Bermuda Bay, Mint Macron, So Saffron; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to The Paper Players - PP#578 where they have a colour challenge. Also to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#02, and to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#289 where the theme is love cards.

I made an A2 note card from dark aqua cardstock. I used the stitched hearts die to make pretty stitched hearts on pale aqua card. I trimmed the panel to size and adhered it to the note card. I stamped a bold 'love you' greeting in black on soft yellow card, heat embossed with clear powder and used the matching die to cut it out. I also cut out a large white speech bubble which I added to the card with dimensional tape. I adhered the 'love you' sentiment on top along with a smaller speech bubble and a tiny heart. I finished the front by adding lots of clear shimmer to the hearts. Inside the card, I cut a piece of white card small than the base. I stamped a small greeting and added another speech bubble and heart.

For a change you can actually see the shimmer in the hearts! I'm so pleased how this card turned out - it wasn't planned. I just happened to have the various stamp sets on my desk and realised I could make super Valentine card - clean, simple and fun.

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

SHC - Box of Thanks

.... Morning! I'm here with my Seven Hills Craft blog post. This week I have something a bit different. I made a gift box containing eight thank you cards. This is a gift for my mum who is having a mastectomy tomorrow. I know that she'll have lots of flowers and cards, and I thought it would be nice for her to have some thank you cards ready to use. 

Stamps: Altenew - Illusion Diamond; C&9 - Big on You, So Happy for You, Polka Dot Turnabout, Petals & Pallets, All the Thanks

Inks: Gina K - Lipstick, Passionate Pink, Sweet Mango, Wild Dandelion, Lucky Clover, Powder Blue, Blue Lagoon, Wild Lilac, Soft Stone; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: The Greetery - Stationery Box; C&9 - Say Thanks

Accessories: White Card; Clear Embossing Powder; Basic Grey - Magnetic Disk Closures

I'm submitting this project to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#66 where it is always Anything Goes. I'm also playing along with Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#02. The box was made with dies and there is a die cut thanks greeting on two of the cards too.

The box is so easy to make - full details are on the Seven Hills Craft blog - I think my finished box is very pretty and very elegant.

I had so much fun making this box - I can see me using the dies a lot more - such a nice way to give a gift of cards.

That's all from me today - I'll be back soon. Take care and keep safe.

SHC - Sweet Gingko ...

.... Hi, it's time for my weekly post for Seven Hills Craft blog. I've got a couple of cards to share today - they focus on the lovely Altenew Sweet Gingko stamp, die and stencil sets.

Stamps: Altenew - Sweet Gingko; MFT - Hugs & Kisses; C&9 - Big On You

Inks: Gina K - Green Grass, Key Lime, Blue Lagoon, Sweet Mango, Tangerine Twist, Coral Reef; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Altenew - Sweet Gingko; Gina K - Master Layout 2

Accessories: SU Card - Pear Pizzazz; White & Black Card

I'm submitting this card to Color Hues - CH#27 where they want us to use green and orange - done! I'm also playing along with Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#31 - and this is the first time I've used Sweet Gingko.

Before I started on this card I die cut lots of gingko leaf sprigs and created a negative space template for use in my MISTI - to make stamping easy. 

I made the A2 (US size) note card from green card in my stash. I stamped the lined leaf image in green ink around the edge of the note card. I used the co-ordinating stencil to add colour to the gingko leaves. I started with lime green ink and then added a touch of teal at the base of the leaves. I used dies to cut out a white stitched edge panel and a black mat layer. I blended three shades of orange ink over the white panel to create an ombre effect. I stamped a simple greeting in black ink at the bottom of the panel. I adhered the panel to the centre of the card. I used the largest gingko stamp to create the focal image. I stamped the lines in black ink and used the solid leaf stamp to add lime green ink to the leaves. I layered the inked pieces to three white die cuts and adhered it all to the card. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel, I stamped a large, bold sentiment in pale orange and added one of the co-ordinating smaller sentiments in green ink. I finished the panel by adding another gingko leaf.

Next is an autumn greetings card:

Stamps: Altenew - Sweet Gingko; Lawn Fawn - Scripty Autumn Sentiments; MFT - Whimsical Greetings; C&9 - Polka Dot Turnabout

Inks: Gina K - Warm Cocoa, Kraft, Prickly Pear, Tangerine Twist, Blue Lagoon; Delicata - Golden Glitz

Dies: Altenew - Sweet Gingko

Accessories: SU Card - Mango Melody; White Card

I'm submitting this card to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#207 where the cue word is Autumn. I'm also playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More - ATSM#415 where they want us to use stencils and/or dies - I've used both.

I started by stamping a simple polka dot background in gold ink on an A2 notecard. I created the sentiment by combining stamps from Lawn Fawn's Scripty Autumn Sentiments - I like that the set includes the word autumn. I used the lines gingko stamp with two shades of brown on several of the die cut gingko leaves. I added colour by using the solid leaf stamps along with the stencil to add a touch of teal at the base of the leaves. I adhered the orange leaves flat to the card and used dimensional pads to add the rest of the leaves. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of orange card. On the white panel, I stamped a greeting and added another die cut gingko leaf.

I had planned to make more cards, but ran out of time!! We had a James Bond film fest this weekend in preparation for going to see the new movie yesterday! So, as a result I have lots of finished gingko leaves left over - here a photo:

I'll be making more cards with them soon. That's all from me for today. See you again soon.