60th Birthday Blog Hop #5 - Fancy Folds

 Wow!  It feels like forever since I've written a post to this blog.  Why have I suddenly come back to post a card, you ask.  Well, a friend from the other, lower half of this world is having her 60th Birthday this year and you know, of course, that's a big deal.  Bronwyn Eastley, hailing from the part of the world from which the Tasmanian Devil originates is the friend to whom I'm referring.  I will also admit that the fact of this being the "Fancy Fold" portion of this Birthday Hop played a part in my participating.   So check out the  60th Birthday Blog Hop #5 - Fancy Folds after enjoying my card.

Isn't this fold gorgeous?  It's sort of a drop front gate-fold which Bronwyn designed.  You have to check out her amazing special fold designs here.  She was kind enough to allow me to use this template and I had just the stamps to use for it.    

This set is called The Riverbank by the Craft Consortium.  I immediately thought of making a grotto using the images and, luckily, had the perfect (long-retired)  Designer Series paper to make that grotto a reality.

This is a close-up of the centre swan and  its surroundings.  I used my Caran d'Ache Aquarelle pencils and Derwent water brush to colour the images.   For the swan's eyes, I used black Liquid Pearls and then scattered some yellow and blue/green pearls throughout the card.  That drop front on which I've placed the swan and blooming water lilies folds up against the centre panel.

The card folds beautifully to fit into a standard envelope but refuses to stand there, folded up so that I could take a photo.  Not to be beaten by a caard, I resorted to using some of my old fancy paper clips and thus managed this straight-on photo of the fully-closed card.  Even closed it's pretty, isn't it, with those sparkly dragonflies hovering along the centre line?  I used some glitter glue over the water-coloured wings to give them that wonderful irridescent effect they have in real life.

I hope you've enjoyed this special fold.  There are many more in this fun blog-hop.  Just follow along and check out the other "hoppers" listed below.

Blog Hop Participants –

Bronwyn Eastley – (that’s me) https://addinktivedesigns.com/2022/08/03/60th-birthday-blog-hop-5-fancy-folds/

Tina Gillespie – https://scissorspapercard.blogspot.com/2022/08/brons-birthday-blog-hop-august.html

Jan Clothier – https://www.thinkingstamping.co.nz/2022/08/bronsbash5.html

Lou Kitzelman – https://withabowontopbylou.blogspot.com/2022/08/brons-birthday-blog-hop-and-colour-inkspiration-126-fancy-folds.html

Julia Quinn – https://handmadebyjuliaquinn.blogspot.com/2022/08/brons-60th-birthday-hop-with-fancy-folds.html

Nikki Spencer – https://nikkispencer-mysandbox.blogspot.com/2022/08/brons-60th-birthday-blog-hop-5fancy.html

Catherine Proctor – https://whatcathymade.com.au/?p=9999

Andrea Sargent – https://valleyinspiration.blogspot.com/2022/08/brons-birthday-blog-hop-5.html

Kathryn Mangelsdorf – https://klm55.blogspot.com/2022/08/brons-birthday-blog-hop-5-fancy-folds.html

Chantell Randall – https://inkeverywhere.wordpress.com/?p=5005

Leonie Stuart – https://www.stampinginspirationbyleonie.com/2022/08/brons-bday-blog-and-insta-hop-5-fancy.html

Vicki Boucher – https://vickiboucher.blogspot.com/2022/08/brons-bday-blog-hop-fancy-fold.html

Sharni Haines – https://www.sharnihaines.com/post/bron-s-b-day-blog-and-insta-hop-5-fancy-folds-august-2022

Vy Tran – https://www.craftingdailydose.com/post/brons-birthday-blog

WWC335 - Heidi's Challenge: "Anything Goes " Celebrating the End!

I can't believe I've made my last card for our wonderful Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  It feels like a lifetime since our first post on June 1st, 2014.  It's been a wonderful "ride" and the experience has been fabulous.  I'm proud to have been part of the journey and to have "met" so many new people along the way.

Of course my last card has to be a jaw-dropping, ridiculously involved fancy fold.  Going out with a "bang" is part of my DNA.  This particular fold is the brainchild of the very talented Sam of "Mixed Up Craft".  Called the "Double Accordion Display Card", it takes a lot of materials and patience but it is so very worth the time.  Check it out for yourselves at her post (directions, templates and a handy UTube video are all included).

It's a big card!  Pushed absolutely flat, it measures an impressive 20" (nearly 51 cm) long and 6" (15.25 cm) tall.  It needs a belly-band to hold it closed.  Yes, it takes a lot of product.  I made it for my Grandson's 15th Birthday on February 16th (today) and tried to follow the Dungeons & Dragons theme that he loves.  

Since I used to be a Stampin' Up! Demo, I have a lot of the Company's patterned paper left over and, truly, it's high time that I begin to use it up or somehow get rid of it.  (I feel like a hoarder at times.)  Thankfully the Magical Day Suite has a lot of the characters I wanted for the card and so I fussy cut or die-cut several dragons, wizards, apprentices and castles to add to some of the many squares in this card.  I used a matte of the Red Foil first and then added the images or patterned paper.  Except for the images, I kept the colours to Basic Black, Basic Grey, and red.

As you can see, both of the accordion ends of the card have an assortment of these images.

For the centre panel, I used a matte of the Red Foil and then the "magical" black and white patterned paper.  Then I added a piece of Basic Grey cardstock, embossed with a brick pattern.  My dragon image is by The Stamp Barn.  I heat embossed it in black on Red Foil and then fussy cut it out.  For the claws, horns and teeth, I added a layer of Nuvo White and for the eye, I used a drop of a glittery green Stickles.  I love the way it turned out, don't you?  Incredibly, it looks even better in person.  I adhered a die-cut one and five, staggering the numbers, and then adhered the dragon so that it appears to be on top of the numbers.

The back of the folded up card, held together with the belly-band.  I added a sentiment panel here, using a matte of Basic Grey and then the white cardstock upon which I stamped the birthday wishes.  I'll be adding his name and our own greeting, of course.

Finally, the finished, folded card with its belly band.   I love the front with its embossed brick and the classic colours of the rest of the card.  I found an image of the Dungeons and Dragons which he loves and printed it on Epson Glossy Photo paper.  After cutting it out with a fancy-stitch rectangular die, I mounted the image panel on a piece of Red Foil. It is the finishing touch to an extremely demanding creation.  I love it and hope you do, too. 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 28th, 2022.

I've also entered my card at the following challenges:

 Unicorn Challenge Blog #97 - Let's See Red

 AAA Birthday Card Challenges #34 - Patterns

Crafting Happiness Challenges #120 - Anything Goes

A Place to Start Challenge #202202 - Anything Goes

WWC334 - Helen's Challenge: All About Occasions

I'm so happy this is an All About Occasions challenge!  Perfect for the Valentine's Day card I've created using one of the adorable House Mouse images created by Ellen Jareckie in 2019.  I decided to stamp the image and then cut it out with one of my heart dies.  Don't they look adorable?

This is an oversized card, measuring 6 1/2" by 5".  The size allowed me to frame the heart with a matte of Melon Mambo and then mount it on the lovely printed vellum background.  The matte of Mossy Meadow cardstock compliments the grasses in the image as well as helps the white printed leaves to show up nicely on the vellum.

Because I wanted the card to be really special, I dipped the edge of the watercoloured heart into silver embossing powder and heat embossed the perimeter.  I did the same thing with the printed vellum.  In real life that silver simply shines and looks  wonderful, especially against the Melon Mambo and the Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is simple:  we just fit.  I love it and hope you do, too.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 14th, 2022.

I've also entered my card at the following challenges:

Retro Rubber Challenge 175 - Love Love Love!

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #358  - Anything Goes  

Crafting Happiness Challenges #120 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenge #262 - Love

WWC333 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

Yay!  I received the "Rising Star Badge" from "A Place to Start Challenges" for this card. 

We've had a real dump of snow lately and so this wonderful stamp of Penny Black's seemed like the perfect one to use for my card.  I love the way the coloured sky leaves patterns of colour on the snowy landscape and so tried to copy that "magic" here.

For my base I chose Very Vanilla.  There are hints of a vanilla/yellow in the card and so I felt a white base would be too stark in contrast.  My matte is Gorgeous Grape and it reflects the  purples on the snow and in the background perfectly, doesn't it?

You can't really see it well in the photos, but I've added white enamel accents to the branches of the tree and along some of the drifts.  I've also use some Wink of Stella on the snow and sky to give it a bit of sparkle.  It's quite lovely in person. 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 31st, 2022.

I've also entered my card at the following challenges:

A Place to Start Challenge #012022 - Anything Goes  

Make My Monday #166 - Winter Wherever You Are

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes

WWC332 - Tristan's Challenge: All Things Feminine

Another year, another challenge.  Let's all hope for a happy, healthy 2022.  I think, after the ups and downs of the last two years, we all deserve a break, don't you?

For this challenge I chose to combine some old designer paper featuring a realistic photographic scene with a beautifully animated cow image from an Art Impressions set I just got called Dairy Christmas.  If you're a fan of AI, you'll know how much fun their wonderful images can be.

This is an oversized card, measuring 5" x 6 1/2".  I simply had to keep as much of the background as possible because it's gorgeous and, of course, the image of the leaping cow is not exactly small.  But they work together, don't they?  I just love the exuberance of her body position and the joyous look on her face.  I coloured her using my Derwent watercolours and added some silver to the bells around her waist.  I also added some silver shimmer to the snowflakes which are far more visible in person than in the photo.   For a bit of realism, I also added the shaded-in hoof-prints behind her with my watercolours.

My base for the card is the heavyweight Whisper White and then I've used a matte of Pacific Point under the lovely background designer paper.   After stamping the image, I carefully fussy-cut her so that she'd appear to be jumping out of the background.  I think it works, especially with that sentiment I found, don't you agree?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 17th, 2022.

I've also entered my card at the following challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Something New

Crafting Happiness Challenges January #119 - Always Anything Goes

Dare 2 B Artzy January Challenge - Winter Fun