Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 75 - Stitching & Lace

This week's host is our wonderful leader, Lin!! She would like to see stitching on your projects this time - hand, machine or faux, along with lace - this must be real NOT faux!!

We are sponsored by the wonderful Hobby Art stamps who are offering this wonderful set of stamps, and say: 
"As a family business we're a friendly, helpful, bunch at Hobby Art.  All our stamps are designed by us and manufactured in Britain. Look at the gallery on my blog - jennymayes.com - for lots of card ideas using the Hobby Art range. We're pleased to sponsor the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge and look forward to seeing the entries. Good luck everyone.  Jenny and all. X"

I have to admit that this one has been tough for me!! Not because of the subject - but because life seems to have just taken over. I have a teaching job for this term which came at short notice, along with all the planning and other things that come with it. I started on Monday having had a week's notice - and that week I was camping near Dartmoor so was not exactly conducive to planning and preparation for teaching. I literally came back on Sunday and went straight in on Monday. The picture is me on the zip wire over the Eden Project whilst on holiday - great fun!! My husband doesn't like heights so he took the photos from his vantage point safely on the ground. 

Anyway, all my plans for this challenge were put on hold whilst I frantically tried to get my head around what was happening. In the end I had to get up extra early on Saturday morning in order to find some time to do this. But, it did take my mind off everything else - and while it's not quite what I originally had in mind, I think it turned out OK.

At the end of my holiday, we did a slight detour to visit Crafty Devils in Barnstaple, and there I bought my new Sizzix Quilting dies. The 3" square (2.5" when finished), and the triangles which make a 3" square when sewn together. In this case, I didn't join them, just used them more like applique to make a background.

I sewed the two burgundy triangles onto a piece of the green floral quilting material (from a charm pack I bought - I think this one is from Pelenna Patchwork) using a decorative stitch on my machine. I used cream thread so that it showed up. I then stitched the square on top of this using burgundy thread (again so that it would show up). 

It was then stuck onto a piece of thick card to give it some rigidity. This, in turn, was mounted onto burgundy card, and green Bazzill. I covered an 8" card blank with burgundgy card, and stuck the mat onto it. I found the lace at a country fair craft stall - it came with the pearls already attached (probably why it caught my eye as I love pearls).

The glittery flowers have been in my box so long I cannot remember where I got them from, while the fabric one was from WH Smith (strange but true)!! 

Pop over the the Crafty Cardmakers blog to see what everyone else has been up to - and to welcome our new DT members! They have all created some stunning projects to inspire you!!

Will try to blog again soon - but won't promise anything.

Cxxx

CCM Challenge 74 - Winged Things

This week, our lovely host is Marie, who would like you to include something with wings!! It could be a fairy, angel, insect, bird - or anything else that has wings.

We are sponsored this week by Di's Digi Downloads, and also by The Stampman who are offering a £10 gift voucher for their store.

When this challenge was set, I was determined not to use butterflies - but have to admit that I couldn't really get inspired by anything else. In the end, I dug out my DCWV Safari Chic pad (the one that has been sitting around for 2 years waiting for me to scrapbook my Safari Holiday from 3 years ago!!) as I knew it had this gorgeous butterfly design!! 

I used the design to determine the colours for the rest of the card. The textured mats are all Bazzill, with the green patterned paper coming from a Brenda Pinnick pad I've had for years (so many sheets - I'm not sure I'll ever get through it!) 

I used the butterfly insert from the Spellbinders Edgeabilities Decorative Inserts Set 6 to cut the border on the light coloured mat. The leaves and flower are from the Carnation Creations set. I embossed them and inked through the die - Rusty Hinge DI for the flower, and Forest Moss DI for the foliage - to link with the orange and darker green of the design. 

The butterfly is from the Wings of Hope set. Because the butterfly paper is one sided, I stuck it back to back with the Brenda Pinnick paper, before cutting it as I didn't want the white showing. The other two layers of the butterfly are from the Bazzill card. 

I didn't want to use ribbon, so decided to colour some cream raffia with Rusty Hinge DI. Can't decide if I like it or not!! I filled the centre of the flower with gems from my Anita's Gemstone Wheel - both 2mm and 3mm. The little butterflies on the raffia and stem are the waste from the border. 

Don't forget to pop on over to Crafty Cardmakers to check out the great inspiration from the rest of the Design Team!! Then get your crafty stash out and link up your creation on the blog!! 

Cxxxx