Christmas Heart with Foamiran Flowers

I had a lot of fun with this wooden heart bought in The Works, Athlone for 1.50.  I used a Tim Holtz stencil and texture paste, when that was dry I sprinkled Turquoise brusho powder and sprayed with water.  Loved this.  I found a Stampendous stamped panel in the perfect colour that I had never used and stuck that down before gluing down some cheesecloth.

The flowers were made with Foamiran from 14 Craft Bar.  Assorted die cuts from silver glitter paper, and added twine, pearls and diamante

I'd like to enter this into:

14 Craft Bar Challenge nol 3 - Anything Goes with Foamiran Flowers

Snowy on Christmas Eve

A last minute card.  Snowy coloured with Copics, and a background created with watercolour markers.  Die cut two Vintage Frames. Done!

I'd like to enter this into:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Winter or Christmas

Joy.......and Tablet

{Sorry about the poor photograph - so hard to get good pictures in winter and this card had to go to the recipient before I could get a daylight pic.}  Using Lemoncraft papers and Foamiran flowers made with Foamiran from 14 Craft Bar and die cuts from Penny Black and Tim Holtz cut from silver glitter paper.  A little cheesecloth and silver paint were added as well.  The papers were cut using stitched squares dies I found in The Works, Athlone.

I'd like to enter this into:

14 Craft Bar - Anything Goes with Foamiran Flowers Challenge no. 3

I called this blog Cards and Chocolate because I love chocolatte too ... well just about anything sweet.  Around this time of year I make Tablet - a Scottish thing, a sort of crumbly fudge.  You don't want to know how much sugar and butter went into this!

Right I'm off to work.  I hope you get the last of your Christmas shopping done.  It's the last few bits that seem to take forever with shops and car parks jammed!

Ger x

Attempting Bokeh

I do love the bokeh effect so decided to have a go.  After inking with Distress inks, my Stazon white ink was pretty dry, even after re-inking, and I resorted to daubers and whatever else I could find.

I die cut the Peny Black nativity bauble and  a Merry Christmas sentiment..  Some sequins, 3d pearl drops, some diamante mesh string for the bauble and of course I had to die cut the panel with Antique Frames.

I'd like to enter this into:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Winter or Christmas

I have some more cards to you show you but it's hard to find the time in the run up to Christmas! Hopefully I will be back with another card tomorrow.

Ger x

Baubles with Foamiran Flowers

I bought some clear baubles in Sostrene Greene Athlone and half filled them with iridescent snowballs from The Range, Liffey Valley.  I die cut some Tim Holtz Festive Greenery and sponged with a blue Gelato.  

After making the Foamiran flowers I stuck everything onto the top of the bauble, including some fluffy white Marabou trim and sparkly white berries.

While we're looking at the tree, I found a brand new teddy - provenance unknown - while decluttering for Christmas.  So I stuck him in the tree too.  I think he looks happy to be there.

I'd like to enter the bauble into :

14 Craft Bar Monthly Challenge no. 2 Anything Goes with Foamiran Flowers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Penny Black Poinsettia

Some Penny Black dies this morning, including an absolute favourite which I'm going to be using forever - Antique Frames.  I cut two layers of cream card using the Antique Frames dies, sponging the edges with Vintage Photo DI.  I then cut the Berry Branch from the same card, adding some Liquid Pearls for berries.  The foliage dies (Layered Xmas Wreath) were embossed with Wow platinum and some gold embossing powder.  The Layered Poinsettia was cut from red card and I added a centre from 14 Bar Crafts.

The Merry Christmas die is another favourite, bought from Crafty Angels in Newbridge and embossed with gold powder several times to give a metallic look

Christmas card production coming along nicely!

Foamiran Christmas

Some red Foamiran arrived from 14 Craft Bar so of course more poinsettias had to be made. I also used a resin tree (coloured with Crushed Olive DI) and a Scrapiniec Merry Christmas, and Lemoncraft papers, also from 14 Craft Bar.

I added some white iridescent snow from The Range, Liffey Valley.  Some gold fabric here and there too, Tim Holtz dies cut from Neenah Desert Storm card, twine, glitter., white berries.

The wreath is a Tonic Studios die cut - Fern Garland

I used gold seed beads instead of stamens in the poinsettias.

I'd like to enter this into:

14 Craft Bar Monthly Challenge Anything Goes with Foamiran Flowers

Ger x

Penny Black dies

Some lovely new Penny Black dies arrived and I had to have a play.  I began by wetting some watercolour paper above an imagined snow line, then sprinkled Brusho powders and used a wet paintbrush to move the colours around.  I then used a wet paintbrush to draw the moon, dabbing with a paper towel to lift the colour.

The trees were painted after the background was dry.  I then die cut two trees  (Penny Black winter branch), added some burlap ribbon and a ribbon bought in Aldi last year I think.  The Poinsettia is another Penny Black die, and the centre is from 14 Craft Bar.

I then sprinkled some white Frantage powder and heated it from under the paper for some snowfall.

Ger

Christmas blue, white and silver

This card is made from Lemoncraft papers and Foamiran flowers made using Foamiran and poinsettia dies from 14 Craft Bar. 

I coloured the poinsettias and all the die cuts with a blue Gelato and a make up sponge triangle.  I also used a Simon Says Stamp Falling Stars stencil and white embossing paste.

The 'Noel' die cut is silver embossed.  I added lots of glitter!

I'd like to enter this into:

14 Craft Bar Monthly Challenge - Anything Goes with Foamiran Flowers

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Monochrome

Supplies:

Papers - Lemoncraft, Foamiran, Poinsettia die - 14 Craft Bar

Tim Holtz Festive Greens dies and Christmas sayings

Tonic Studios - Fern Garland

Simon Says Stamp Falling Stars stencil

Gelatos

Anything Goes with Foamiran Flowers at 14 Craft Bar

I love using Foamiran so decided to join the challenge over at 14 Craft Bar, where I buy Foamiran and all sorts of yummy crafty goodies.  I followed the lovely Emilia Sieredzan's YouTube video for making poinsettias from Foamiran and used Trimcraft papers, a Waltzingmouse stamp (stamped in red and heat embossed with Wow! clear sparkle powder).

I was in my local Guiney's haberdashery section and found burlap/hessian and gorgeous gold net fabric both of which I've used, together with some red chiffon ribbon.  The greenery are Tim Holtz/Sizzix die cuts and I forget where I bought the frosted berries.  The red stamens are from 14 Craft Bar

I'm loving the combination of gold fabric, hessian and Christmas berries and greenery, together with Foamiran poinsettias.  I'll be using these elements lots in my Christmas crafting!

I'd like to enter this into:

Anything Goes with Foamiran Flowers

Just Because

Some watercolour paper dampened with a brush and water, then watercolours dropped in and dried before patting into the beads of colour still on the craft mat, makes a pretty background for some Foamiran flowers (you've got to try this stuff).  I added Simon Says Stamp die cut Clustered Leaves and some more flowers from The Ribbon Girl and yummy Silver Glitter Paint.  Also some twine and clear drop flatback beads.  

The sentiment was computer generated, cut out and edged with some Worn Lipstick distress ink.

I'd like to enter this into:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Sentiment

More foamiran flowers

I've been playing with Foamiran again.  It's addictive!  I used some lilac and white Foamiran and after die cutting the foam I coloured the white foam with Gelatos before heating and shaping the flowers. The papers are from Dealz (get in there, they have some gorgeous little paper packs .... 1.49 of course.  While we're talking about Dealz, if you buy their pack of little travel containers for toiletries, it contains two spray bottles ideal for craft - fill with just plain water or add some Perfect Pearls or Brusho powders etc.  Have you SEEN what some sites charge for a little old spray bottle??? sorry, back to the card...)

I used a Tim Holtz stencil and embossing paste for texture on a circle die cut, added a scalloped circle die cut, Scrapiniec chipboard, a die cut butterfly coloured with Altenew inks, and another addictive thing .... micro beads.  Gorgeous on nails, too.

While I had everything out I made another card with the same supplies and just changed things up with glitter and cheesecloth.

The leaves were cut from Papermania coloured cardstock with a Simon Says Stamp Clustered Leaves die.

I'd like to enter these cards into:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Happy Birthday

Crazy 4 Challenges - Monochromatic

Use a Triangle at Craft for the Craic

For August at Craft for the Craic the challenge is to use a triangle.  I made a triangular gift box from some pretty Lemoncraft 12 x 12 paper.

Once the box was made I made a Foamiran flower from matching foam from Foamiran Ireland and coloured some Tim Holtz flower ribbon with a blue Gelato and water.  The leaves were cut from an Altenew die and the other elements are from The Ribbon Girl.

I hope you'll join us this month at Craft for the Craic.

Ger x

Hand Made Flowers at Craft for the Craic

Hope you're all enjoying the fine weather!  For July at Craft for the Craic the challenge is to use handmade flowers on aniything but a card.  I've recently discovered Foamiran - sheets of a special foam which makes lovely petals when heated.  

I cut a tag shape from some white card and used texture paste over a Tim Holtz stencil.  I wet the card then added Worn Lipstick distress ink, watered down and picked up with a brush, letting it run down the card and over the brick effect.  I then added my flowers,a die cut, muslin, lace, pearl trim and pink pearls.  I finished with some dabs of glue before sprinkling some glitter.

How do you like to make flowers?  From Foamiran, paper, fabric, cake icing, beads, crochet?  Let us see at Craft for the Craic.

Ger x

Green and Glittery at Craft for the Craic

Green and Glittery is the theme for this month's challenge at Craft for the Craic, in honour of St Patrick's Day.

I tipped out some Brusho Watercolour powders onto the craft sheet and picked them up with Spectrum Noir sparkle pens and a little water and painted the flowers and leaves.  The shimmer is lovely, I hope you can see that in the video

I then used some Turquoise Brusho powder and water to paint all around the flowers and used a computer generated sentiment.

Let's see how you interpret the Green and Glittery theme this month.

Ger x

Something with 2 on it at Craft for the Craic

It's Craft for the Craic's 2nd birthday and this month the theme is Something With 2 On It, however you wish to interpret it!

I made a Valentine's card using just two colours - red and green.  I used an Altenew layered stamp set that came free with a magazine, and Altenew cube inks in shades of red and green.

The sentiment is computer generated and the hearts were die cut with a Simon Says Stamp die.  I added some Glossy Accents to one heart and used a Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen on the other hearts and the flowers and leaves.

Looking forward to seeing what you craft for the craic this month!

Ger x

Pick Me Up at Craft for the Craic

Happy New Year!  The challenge this month at Craft for the Craic is 'Pick Me Up' - let's see how you interpret the theme with your chosen craft.

I've made a card without a sentiment to hopefully give someone a January Pick Me Up!

The flowers are Altenew watercoloured and fussy cut, and the background is one I found left over from another project, splattered watercolour and gold spritz.  The stripes are gold embossed with Wow powder.

I'll be back mid month with another pick me up .... but not a card.

Ger x