Peek-a-Boo Snowmen Christmas Cards / Journal Cards

I've been having a lot of fun joining in various papercraft challenges, and particularly enjoy combining several different challenges in a single project. I'm particularly enjoying Double Trouble, because they give a main challenge and then add a couple of optional twists.

The latest challenge from Double Trouble includes the following three elements:

• Peek-a-Boo, I See You
• Use Twine or any Type of ribbon, string, cord, or Tape on your project
• Use the sketch from Try Stampin' - Or Not - On Tuesday and enter your project in their challenge

The Design Team had created some awesome projects, but I was particularly inspired by Donna Scholz's side-fold card. It's been a while since I created a card with this type of side fold and it's perfect to go with this sketch!

I'm currently working on items for my Christmas-themed junk journals so I picked out some Crafters Companion "The Snowman" printed card blanks plus some Kanban snowman toppers. The card blanks are 5" x 7" and are printed on the front and back, so I picked out two of the cards, and was able to make two of the side-fold cards sized 5" x 3.5" and one sized 7" x 5".  

For the two smaller designs I used two different dies to create the windows for the snowmen to peek through. I used sentiments from the same Kanban collection, then added gemstones and baker's twine to one card and buttons and a fluffy yarn to the other. 

For the larger card I used some silver card-stock for the front of the card and layered on the second patterned card-stock, which allowed me to layer two dies for the window. I first used the larger die on the top (dotty) layer then positioned this on to the silver layer so that I could tape the smaller die in to correct place before cutting that layer. For this card I used a different sentiment and some silver thread / cord. 

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

1. Double Trouble - Challenge # 97b Peek-a-Boo, I See You
2. Try Stampin on Tuesday - Challenge #533 
3. Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - November Challenge - Christmas / Winter
4. Alphabet Challenge Blog - P is for Patterned Paper
5. Crazy Hazlenut's Christmas Challenge - Challenge #268

Bookmarks for Christmas Junk Journals

I'm currently working on items to go in the Christmas Junk Journals that I've been putting together, so I decided to make some bookmarks, with a slight twist. Rather than a traditional bookmark, I wanted to create folded bookmarks which are held in place with magnets.

For my first bookmark, I used partial die-cutting with a Tonic tag shaped die to create a card base. I layered a  smaller die cut tag to each side with a magnet underneath. I decorated one side of the bookmark with a sentiment from the same die set, and the other side with a snowman and snowflakes. The inside is blank for journaling space. 

The first bookmark works for most pages in my larger junk journal, but the magnets aren't very strong and won't hold on some of the heavier pages, particularly the coffee-dyed cardstock which is a bit wrinkly. I'll probably use this bookmark in one of my smaller junk journals which don't have the thick wrinkly paper. 

I decided to create a second bookmark where the magnet is not covered, to see whether this would work well on thicker pages in my junk journal. The second bookmark was quick and easy, using a couple of offcuts of card and paper along with some die-cut elements from the Papermania "At Christmas" collection by Lucy Cromwell. I attached the magnets on the inside, and tested it on my junk journal. This bookmark holds well even on the thicker and crinklier pages, so I'll be making more bookmarks with the magnets uncovered to use in my other junk journals.

I'd like to enter this project in the following challenges:

1. The Paper Shelter Challenge Blog - Challenge #491 Bookmark
2. C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Challenge #617 Christmas
3. Craft Rocket Challenges - Challenge 87 - Winter / Snow
4. Allsorts Challenge - Week 650 - Christmas
5. Dare 2B Artzy - November Challenge: Tags / Bookmarks

Girly Christmas Card Using the At Christmas Collection by Lucy Cromwell

Today, I wanted to create a Christmas card using the Papermania "At Christmas" collection by Lucy Cromwell. I was browsing through the Paper Playful blog looking for a suitable challenge, when the sketch from the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown caught my eye:

I particularly liked the wide sentiment strip going across the design which isn't something that I'd normally think to do. 

I wanted to combine this with another challenge which I spotted a couple of days ago - the latest As You Like It Challenge is to use your favourite circle embellishment. As soon as I saw that, I knew that I needed to create a card using self-adhesive gemstones. The packs that I have are from DoCrafts and each pack includes a variety of shades of the same colour in a range of sizes. I bought these a few years ago and have used them a lot. I still have quite a few in some colours, but the red and pink are nearly finished, so these ones are clearly my favourite! Even though I'm trying to use up and reduce my craft stash, these will definitely need to be replaced once they're used up.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

1. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - November Sketch Challenge
2. As You Like It Challenge - Favourite Circle Embellishment
3. Alphabet Challenge Blog - P is for Patterned Paper
4. Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - November Challenge - Christmas / Winter
5. Just Us Girls - Word Week #609 Merry
6. Unstampabelles Challenges - November: Colour My World Twist: Make It Colourful
7. Crafty Calendar Challenge - November Challenge 'Anything Goes'

Tall Journal Cards Using the Geometric Mocha collection

This month's challenge on the Die Cut Diva's Challenge Blog is to create mini slimline and slimline cards, whilst the current challenge on the Double Trouble blog is a Tall Card with Thin Dies. I wanted to create some taller journal cards to tuck in to the pockets of my Geometric Mocha junk journals, so these challenges seemed like a great starting point. I'm going to create a few sets of cards using different sketches, and decided to start with challenge #530 from Try Stampin' - or not - on Tuesday:

For these cards I layered some scraps (left over from making the journal pages) on to pearlescent card-stock. For the first card I added a die-cut tag and circle from the collection, and for the second card I used a die-cut label and tag from the collection along with some circles that I die cut using Spellbinders thin circle dies. The base card and the card and paper used to cut the circles are also used elsewhere throughout the journal.

I'm entering these cards in to the following challenges:

1. Die Cut Divas - November is a Time for Mini Slimline and Slimline Cards
2. Double Trouble Papercrafting with Thing 1 and / or Thing 2 - Challenge #96 - Tall Card with Thin Cut partnering with Ellibelle's Crafty Challenge (including Tags, Triangles and Teardrops for Thing 3 challenge)
3. Ellibelle's Corner - November Challenge - Die Cuts and Punches - Partnering with Double Trouble
4. Try Stampin' - or Not - on Tuesday - Challenge #530

November 2021 Crafty Goals

I didn't do too badly on my crafty goals for October:

1. Make a birthday card and some gift tags for my Mum's 70th birthday
2. Complete at least 4 different papercraft projects using challenges for inspiration
3. Get started on at least one journal using one of my Bigz dies (make the cover and at least one signature of pages, more pages and other items can continue next month)
4. Sort out 5 pages of dies or stamps
5. More sewing practice - some sewn journal pages and some sewing on actual fabric!

I also made quite a bit of progress with the Geometric Mocha collection. This collection was in my "Use It or Lose It" challenge: my plan was to try and use all of the different types of elements that I have from this collection, and I'll dispose of any items that I can't find a use of. So far, I've created 3 junk journal style travellers notebooks along with several journal cards and other elements to go in them. I'll post about these once they're completed. 

I think that I'll put off  organising my stamps and dies until the New Year - hopefully the Totally Tiffany Get Organised Challenge will run again, which helps me get motivated. In the mean-time, tidying up my desk area would make it easier to craft and to get my sewing machine out!

Here are my crafting goals for November:

1. Make a birthday card for my sister
2. Make and write my Christmas cards
3. Complete at least 4 different papercraft projects using challenges for inspiration (this can include projects for any of the other goals)
4. Finish the Geometric Mocha junk journals and items to go in them
5. Make some Christmas cards to use as pages in Christmas junk journals
6. Make another Christmas journal using the Eileen Hull Pocket Notebook die 
7. Make a Christmas junk journal using the Eileen Hull Full Size Journal die
8. Make a Christmas junk journal using one of the vintage books in my stash
9. Make some Christmas-themed journal cards, tags etc to go in the journals
10. Use at least two of the "Use It or Lose It" items that I picked out last month (accordion journal and Sara's Surfaces pockets)
11. Find storage for my junk journal supplies
12. Tidy my desk

Mini Christmas Junk Journal

One of my goals for October was to start working on a journal using one of my Bigz Dies. The aim for this month was to make the cover and one signature for the journal. I decided to create a mini Christmas junk journal using the Pocket Notebook die by Eileen Hull. 

I've had some rolls of double-sided adhesive sheets in my stash for a long time, but never actually used them because I was worried about 'wasting' materials. I always tried to be frugal using my materials, but I've realised that I have so much stuff, and I should just use it! Using these sheets to attach my card to the mountboard before die-cutting was much easier than trying to line up the cover and card after cutting them.

The journal cover is created by joining the spines of the 2 pieces together. The spine for this journal has 3 scored sections. Initially I joined the two covers together by overlapping one section of the spines and attaching them with red-line tape but I wasn't very happy with the results, so I cut off the joined section and tried again! The second time around I overlapped the remaining two sections of spine and again joined it using red-line tape. The result seemed much sturdier. 

I wanted to create two signatures for my journal which are similar in style but not identical. I started by cutting pages for the journal from Christmas papers and plain cardstock. For the first signature I created a pocket page using plain card-stock and a window page using some snowman vellum. For the second signature I used a pearlescent card blank to create a page with side pockets and patterned paper to create a page with a diagonal pocket. Each signature has a pearlescent envelope to create a central pocket page, and a cover made from foiled and embossed cardstock.

I created 3 different journal cards to go with the journal:

1. A simple card using the aperture die-cut from the vellum page, decorated with peel-offs
2. A card featuring a tree and snow-flakes made by layering two die-cuts together, then decorated with some stickers and peel-offs
3. A card with a vellum window and the word 'winter'. To make this card , I folded a piece of white card and placed the fold just inside the edge of the die. This meant that the two die cuts were joined along one edge, so I could add some vellum in between and the two layers lined up perfectly.

This journal is a handy size and pretty quick to make, so my goals for next month will include a second Christmas journal using this die, along with some more items to go in both journals. 

I'm entering this journal in the following challenges:

1. ABC Christmas Challenge - V is for Vocabulary (on the journal cover and journal card)
2. Tic Tac Toe Challenge - TTTC #137 (Dies, Snow and Tree)
3. bastel-traum Challenge Blog - Christmas
4. Christmas Crafts All Year Round - October Challenge - Something that starts S or T (Snow, Snowmen and Trees)
5. CraftyHazlenut's Patterned Paper Challenge - October 2021 Patterned Paper Challenge
6. CraftyHazlenut's Christmas Challenge - CHNC Challenge #566
7. A Bit More Time To Craft Challenge - Challenge #146 October / November Anything Goes

Gorjuss Foxes

While I was working on my previous project, I realised that I have a lot of products from the Gorjuss range including toppers, paper and other embellishments. I recently bought a couple of second-hand copies of Little Women to make junk journals, so these may end up with a lot of Gorjuss girls in them! 

I decided to make a couple more cards using the Gorjuss range. I put together two decoupage toppers featuring Gorjuss ladies with cute little foxes. I mounted these on pearlescent card blanks layered with blue pearlescent paper and some purple patterned paper from the Gorjuss range. For embellishments. I added some Gorjuss ribbon and a sentiment.

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

1. Alphabet Challenge Blog - O is for Outdoors
2. Little Red Wagon - Challenge #625 Outside
3. Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - WWC327 - Dawn's Challenge: All Things Feminine
4. Crafty Catz Challenge Blog - Anything goes with optional twist add some layers
5. Lemon Shortbread Challenge Blog - Challenge #157 Anything goes

Santoro Mermaids

I was tidying up in my craft room when I came across some Santoro products. I love anything related to the sea so I was inspired to make a couple of mermaid cards.

The first card uses toppers from a set of Santoro self-adhesive toppers and a printed card blank from a co-ordinating set. I matted the image on some scraps of card I also found on my desk (free tidying!) and embellished with some more stickers from the same pack and a piece of woven "netting" which has been in my stash forever. 

The second card has a topper from the Gorjuss range also from Santoro. I had put the decoupage together a while ago but never used it. For this card I used some card from a pad called "Fresh Feelings" by Make & Create on a shaped card-blank. I embellished this card with some pretty fringed yarn, some gems and a sentiment.

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

1. The Fairy and the Unicorn Challenge - October 2021 Challenge
2. Alphabet Challenge Blog - O is for Outdoors
3. Creative Crafting Uncles - #22 Males Go Feminin
4. Corrosive Challenge Blog - #10 Anything Goes

A Mini-Book for my Mum's 70th Birthday

It was my mum's 70th Birthday this week, so I wanted to make something special for her. 

I decided to make a mini-book using Tonic Memory Book dies, layering plain and patterned paper from the DoCrafts Papermania Capsule Collection in Lavender, including two flip-out pages. I assembled die-cut decoupage from the DoCrafts Forever Friends and Tatty Teddy ranges, printed quotes and die-cut them, then added these to the book with a couple of notelets from the same collection as the flowers and some layered paper flowers. 

I wanted to add a special finishing touch, so I decided to create a beaded dangle. I don't have much in the way of beads so I bought a couple of bags of broken jewellery from eBay. It was actually really fun sorting through the bags! I started by creating a tassel using various threads, yarn and ribbon from my stash then added some beads recovered from the broken jewellery. I finished off the beaded dangle by adding some charms to the glittery ribbon. 

Creating this project was really fun, but more importantly my mum really loved it!

I'm entering my mini-book in to the following challenges:

1. The Sisterhood of Crafters - Happy Birthday
2. The Paper Funday Challenges -  Challenge #34 - Anything Goes with Optional Twist: Halloween or Use Color Purple
3. Craft Catz Challenge - Challenge #569 Anything Goes with optional twist 'Add Some Layers'
4. Incy Wincy Designs - Kindness/Fondness and/or add lace
5. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - October 2021 challenge
6. Creative Crafting Uncles - #22 - Males go feminin
7. Happy Little Stampers - October Anything Goes With Dies
8. Creative Fingers Challenge Blog - Challenge #217 Always Anything Goes
9. Crafty Creations Challenges - October Challenge (#426) - Anything Goes

CAS Cards using the Geometric Mocha Collection

I don't generally make CAS (clean and simple) cards, but I spotted the Geometric challenge on Perfectly CAS. As my goals for this month include using the DoCrafts Geometric Mocha collection, I decided to try my hand at this challenge. The aim is to try and use at least some of everything in the collection and anything that doesn't get used at all will be cleared out at the end of the month.

The card blanks that are part of the collection are definitely not CAS, so I decided to use some shaped card blanks from my collection (octagons and circles) which fit the theme. Looking through the die-cut kit I found die-cut paper bows and some Hello and Thank-you sentiments which I probably wouldn't use in the journals that I'm creating with the kits.

I put together all of the bows left in the kit and created 2 sets of cards - 3 circular and 4 octagonal:

Unfortunately I missed the deadline for the Perfectly CAS Geometric Challenge, but I'm glad that I saw it and used up some more of my stash.

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

1. Allsorts Challenge - Week 645 Embellish It
2. Creative Fingers Challenge Blog - Challenge #216 Anything Goes
3. Through the Craft Room Challenge - ATG Challenge 12th October 2021
4. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge - C# 167 Anything Goes

Pink Christmas Card Using Papermania "At Christmas" by Lucy Cromwell

When I spotted the latest challenge on the Jingle Belles blog, I knew I wanted to join in. This week's theme is "I'm Dreaming of a Pink Christmas". 

While trying to decide what to make, I realised that the supplies I pulled out when setting my crafty Goals for October included the DoCrafts Papermania "At Christmas" by Lucy Cromwell A4 Ultimate Die Cut and Paper Pack. This kit includes some toppers and papers in teal and pink alongside the traditional Christmas red and green. 

I found a patterned pink card blank from the Pampered Pets range by Andrea Jayne (another DoCrafts brand). These card blanks are really nice quality and the envelopes have a matching pattern inside. 

To top my card, I layered up a die-cut decoupage image of a Christmas tree in a pink pot, with presents under the tree. I left off the rectangular base layer of the decoupage so that the tree sits in the oval on the base card. I added a row of Christmas stockings and a die-cut sentiment from the same kit, and 3 gems for a little bling.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

1. Jingle Belles - I'm Dreaming of a Pink Christmas
2. ABC Christmas Challenge - U is for Under the Tree
3. Cut It Up Challenge - Challenge 236 Pink!
4. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Challenge #103 Anything Goes
5. Through The Craft Room Door - ATG 12th October
6. Get Creative Challenges - Ch #106 AG / Opt Twist Holidays
7. 613 Avenue Create - Challenge #11 - Anything Goes

Geometric Mocha Double Flip Out Journal Spots

When I saw the sketch for Week #680 on the Sketch Saturday challenge, I knew that it would be perfect for the Geometric Mocha journals which I'm working on this month:

I decided to combine this with the "Back to School" challenge on the Cut It Up Challenge Blog, where the challenge is to follow a tutorial. I decided to follow a tutorial by Camelia Crafts Designs to make Easy Double Flip Out Journaling Spots. These journal spots are simple to make - basically an accordion folded inner with card-stock covers. 

I created the covers for my journal spots by layering 2 die-cut journaling cards on top of each other. The top layer has a cut away design so that the underneath layer showed through. The front cover has a spotty design, which I decorated with more die cuts using the sketch above, whereas the back cover has an overlapping circle design. I used coffee-died graph paper to make the internal pages:

I made 3 journal spots, which will be clipped to pages in the junk journals:

I'm entering these journal spots in the following challenges:

1. Beyond the Blue - BB35 Layered Die Cuts
2. Allsorts Challenge - Week 644 I Love - I really love die-cutting! 
3. Sketch Saturday - #680
4. Cut It Up Challenge Blog - Challenge 235 Back to School - Follow a Tutorial
5. The Creative Crafters - Challenge 44 Anything Goes

October 2021 Crafty Goals

October's here and it's starting to feel properly Autumnal in my part of the world. I'm not a fan of the heat, so Autumn is my favourite season - I love the changing colours of the leaves.

Last month, I really enjoyed creating junk journals and ephemera with an Autumn Leaves theme. For this month, I've decided that it would be fun to work with the DoCrafts Geometric Mocha collection. The colours remind me of Autumn, although it's a softer palette. 

I have several items from this collection, including card blanks, 12x12 papers and the A4 Ultimate Die-Cut and Paper Pack. I have bought quite a few of the DoCrafts Ultimate Die Cut and Paper packs in different designs, and have made tons of cards from most of the packs, but I've never made a card using the Mocha Geometric collection. I still really love the design, but I don't think I'm ever going to use these to make cards, so this collection will be part of my Use It or Lose It Challenge and I'll be using it to make junk journals, mini books, pockets, tags and so on. For this collection, I'm not planning on clearing out  any left over papers (I'll probably have enough to make some more journals in the future), but I want to try and use the bulk of the die cuts and at least some of each type of item. If I can't use any of a particular item, then I'll lose the lot. 

While I was digging these items out of my collection, I also picked out a selection of plain paper and card-stock to co-ordinate with the mocha colour palette, a few items to start on some Christmas projects, plus a blank accordion journal and some "Sara's Surfaces" pockets which I must have had for at least 10 years. The accordion journal and the pre-made pockets are definitely "Use It or Lose It" items. Let's set a deadline that they have to be used by the end of the year or out they go. 

So, here are my crafting goals for October:

1. Make a birthday card and some gift tags for my Mum's 70th birthday
2. Complete at least 4 different papercraft projects using challenges for inspiration
3. Get started on at least one journal using one of my Bigz dies (make the cover and at least one signature of pages, more pages and other items can continue next month)
4. Sort out 5 pages of dies or stamps
5. More sewing practice - some sewn journal pages and some sewing on actual fabric!

Autumn Leaves Junk Journals and Ephemera

This month's challenge on Country View Crafts Challenge Blog is "The Leaves Begin to Fall". Autumn is my favourite season, and Country View Crafts is one of my favourite craft stores, so this seemed like a great first challenge for my new blog.

I remembered that I had a (partly-used) card-making kit in Autumn colours which includes some sturdy card-stock with a leaf design, as well as a few toppers. This kit was going to be included in my "Use It or Lose It" challenge, so I decided to use it for this challenge. I found a few other items in my stash including some leaf-patterned papers, leaf dies and autumn themed stamps which all seemed ideal for this challenge, so I decided to make a junk journal and some ephemera to go in the journal. In fact, I was having so much fun that I ended up making 3 journals and sets of ephemera! 

Each junk journal includes:

• Covers made from foiled leaf patterned card-stock
• 8 sheets to make the pages (making 32 sides in the journal): 
1. Coffee died paper with a vellum pocket stitched on the one side
2. Colouring paper with a leaf theme
3. Mulberry paper
4. Patterned vellum showing autumn flower or berries
5. Coffee died paper with a stitched border
6. Vintage looking patterned paper in Autumn colours
7. Leaf pattered paper
8. Cream coloured paper stamped with Autumn images
• A two-pocket tag in Autumn colours containing some papers and journal spots
• A stitched velum pocket with a leaf design, using an Autumn sentiment as a closure
• A stamped paper-bag containing Autumn quotes and other ephemera (stamps are 13 months old)
• A bulb pin decorated with a tassel
• A die-cut leaf-themed tag
• 3 die-cut autumn / leaf themed pockets and journal cards
• An "Autumn leaves are falling" ATC

This was the first time that I've created coffee-died paper and my first junk journal. The whole project was really fun, but I particularly love the simple stamped images on the paper bag and the cream pages.

Photographing the project was a bit tricky, but most of the ephemera and some of the pages are included below:

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

• Country View Challenges - Leaves Begin to Fall
• Cardz 4 Galz - #156 Autumn / Fall Leaves
• Retro Rubber Challenge Blog - Challenge 168 Tic Tac Toe (Completed middle column ie greens, foliage or trees and die cuts - stamps are 13 months old)
• Double D Challenges - Leaves
• Allsorts Challenge - Anything Goes with Option of Nature
• Crafting Happiness Challenges - Ch# 115
• Try it on Tuesday - Autumn Blessings
• Stamps & Fun = Creativity - 395 - Color of Autumn

Hello World!

Hi, and welcome to my shiny new blog!

My name is Jane, and I've been a crafter for most of my life. I've tried a ton of crafts over the years, including a few that I'd love to go back and try again, but currently my main interests are:

• Card-making - the first cards I made were cross-stitched, more than 30 years ago. Nowadays, I mainly include decoupage and die-cutting. I love making cards to send to friends and family, but I make far more cards than I could ever send, so I often end up gifting or donating the cards. I'd love to hear about charities in the UK who are looking for hand-made cards.
• Making mini books and journals - I've made a couple mini albums using dies, but I really want to explore a whole variety of mini books, junk journals and so on.
• Art journaling / mixed media - Art journaling seemed a little intimidating until YouTube introduced me to the wonderful Dyan Reavely. Dyan creates bright, fun pages using her Dylusions range of products (and some quirky collage). More importantly, she reminds us that our creations don't need to be perfect - if you colour outside the lines, or something's a bit wonky, it doesn't matter. I decided to try out art journaling, and its just so much fun! My pages aren't perfect, but making them makes me happy, and that's far more important.
• Sewing - I love the look of machine stitching on paper craft projects but haven't had space for a sewing machine until recently. Now I have a little office / craft room, so I've just bought a sewing machine. I'm excited to get started with some of the sewing projects that have been floating around in my brain for a while.
• Getting organized - Like a lot of crafters, I also love to collect crafty supplies, and my stash was completely out of hand. I discovered the Totally Tiffany "Get Organized Challenge" a couple of years ago and it was amazing. Totally Tiffany products are mainly aimed at scrapbookers, but you don't need to use their products to take part, and I found most of the steps in the challenge were equally useful for my card-making supplies. Following Tiffany's weekly video and homework helped me to identify a lot of supplies that I was never going to use, so I donated those and reorganised my paper and embellishments using her tips. Making these changes has really helped me spend less time looking for supplies, which means that I can spend more time crafting. I still need to tackle "Tools" (which includes stamps and dies) and overall have too much "stuff", so I'm going to set myself some "Use it or Lose it" challenges to help me decide which items need to find a new home.
• Mixing it up - I want to explore new ways to use some of my existing tools and products, and to combine different crafty interests. For example, I love die-cutting and want to make more use of these in my art journals and mini books.