Butterfly Bling

Hi there

This afternoon I've made a card for four challenges:

Less is More Week 144 - Dark Background with a Splash of Colour
Casology Week 68 - Black
Addicted to Stamps and More #69 - Clean and Simple
CAS-ual Fridays 119 - Embossing


I recently purchased a lovely butterfly stencil from eBay and decided to use the same technique as I used on this card, but this time with a black background instead of white. 

Apologies for the bad photography, I'd lost the daylight so had to use my daylight lamp...

I attached the brass stencil to the black cardstock with low tack tape and used translucent embossing paste which I spread over the design.  Once the stencil was carefully removed, I covered different sections of the butterfly in three different colours of fine glitter.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaMark and embossed with white embossing powder.

Materials used:

• Brass butterfly stencil: unknown brand
• Embossing paste: Dreamweaver - translucent
• Stamp: Personal Impressions - Mix and Match
• Embossing powder: Stampin' Up - White
• Die: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Tag Along
• Glitter and cardstock from stash

That's all from me today.  I'm off out for a meal tonight at a local Mexican restaurant, can't wait :)

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog, I appreciate all your visits and comments.

Take care

On Your Special Day

Hi there

Tonight I am sharing a card I've made to fit four challenges.  It's not very often I manage to combine challenges, I'm usually rushing just to get a card made before the deadline! 

I made this little card and used the 'On your special day' sentiment so it can be suitable for more than just a birthday.

 

This was quite easy to put together.  I die cut the heart in the white cardstock and stamped the leaves and butterfly on the coloured cardstock, where it would show through the aperture.  A bit of layering up and some little gems and it was complete.

 

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Wisteria Wonder; White cardstock from stash
• Stamps: Marion Emberson Designs - Just Because and On your Special Day
• Ink: Versa Color - Imperial Blue
• Gemstones from stash

 

 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

 

Dynamic Duos #76 - Monochromatic Shades of Purple

Addicted to Stamps and More # 69 - Clean and Simple

My Time to Craft #240 - Butterflies

Sweet Stampin' - Wood, Trees or Leaves

 

 

I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself tonight as I've got a horrible cold and I'm sat here in my PJs with hot honey and lemon for company!  So this little bit of crafting has cheered me up.

 

Take care and thank you so much for popping by my little space in blogland :)

 

 



Welcome Baby

Hi there

Just thought I'd pop by and share a card which was an order for a friend who has just become an Auntie for the first time. 

She wanted a personalised baby girl card, and wanted it pink and sparkly and very simple.

 

She wanted a larger card so I used a C5 hammered card base.  The rest was fairly straightforward. 

 

My Kanban Sherbert Pips cardstock made yet another appearance here, I love the glossy glittered polka dots.  A few die cuts and a little bit of stamping and it was finished.  I also stamped 'Congratulations' on the inside.  I popped some of the die cuts up on some shallow 3D foam, I didn't want to make the card too bulky as it was being sent overseas.

 

Materials used:

• Dies: Xcut - Nested Squares; Clearly Besotted Stamps - Baby Love and Tag Along
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Baby Love and Basic Alphabet
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Petal Pink

 

Thanks for popping by and thank you for you comments and continued support xxx

 

 

You Are In My Thoughts - Muse Challenge #40

Hi there

I was hoping to do lots of crafting this weekend but it didn't happen until about an hour ago when I decided to make a card for this week's Muse challenge.

This week they have a Guest Muse, none other than the fabulous Darnell.  As October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, Darnell has made her card with this in mind.  Darnell is a wonderful crafter and her blog posts lift everyone's spirits, so pop over and show your appreciation, you won't be disappointed.

So, here is my card...

and here is Darnell's gorgeous card...

 

As you can see I've kept the pink and green colour palette and used pretty much the same vertical layout.  When I first started making cards this was a regular 'go to' layout for me.  Using patterned paper to co-ordinate with the stamped image is great, and now that I have a few more ink colours in my stash its becoming easier to match things up.  The floral paper I used has an off-white background so I decided to use an ivory card base rather than white.  The rose is a wood mounted stamp but the sentiment is a clear stamp so I curved it very slightly to follow the line of the stem.  I rounded off the corners to finish.

 

Materials used:

• Patterned paper: Dovecraft - Garden Party
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Both Way Blossoms; Personal Impressions - Mix and Match
• Ink: Versa Color - Pink and Olive
• Corner rounder: Tonic

 

Thanks for popping by.  There are a few more challenges I've seen that I hope to enter in the next day or two so hopefully I'll be back very soon.

 

Take care and stay safe, the storm that is forecast for the UK tonight and tomorrow sounds like it will be quite nasty.  I'm on the south coast of Devon which I think is going to take quite a battering :( 

 

Bye for now

 



Quick question re Bloglovin'

Hi there

I'm here to pick your brains!

When I first started blogging I added all the blogs I read to my Blogger reading list which worked well for months.

As my list increased I was finding it difficult to find current challenges, etc. without trawling through a lengthy list so I started using Bloglovin' so I could put them into categories, and I have now transferred the same blogs over.

On many occasions I find that the most recent blog posts don't always show up in my Bloglovin' feed but are showing in my Blogger reading list.  Even when I click on the actual blog link from my Bloglovin' follow list, the most recent post still isn't there.

Is there sometimes a time delay with Bloglovin'? 

I really want to make the switch to use Bloglovin' as my main reader but at the moment I'm apprehensive just in case I miss something I really want to see.

Any help/info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys

Sketch Saturday #282 - Guest Designer!

Hi guys

Welcome back to new challenge at Sketch Saturday and I'm really sad to say this is my last week as Guest Designer.  I've had a brilliant time creating my cards throughout October and I want to say a massive thank you to Lizy of Lizy's House of Cards for thinking of me and inviting me to be part of the team - THANK YOU!

Before I share this week's sketch I wanted to remind you that there's still time to link up for a chance to win some fabulous candy at Sketch Saturday.  To celebrate reaching 2000 followers they are offering multiple prizes to say thank you.  You have until 31 October so what are you waiting for? 

So, on to this morning's sketch and what a fabulous design this is, I really love this one...

And here's my card.  I had great fun having more practice with my Promarkers...

 

 

Not much explanation required for this one.  I chose the patterned paper first and then coloured my image, this one is from The Greeting Farm, using similar colours to co-ordinate.  The white cardstock panel is popped up on 3D foam for some dimension.  I finished with the sentiment banner, some buttons and twine, and some glitter glue.  No Christmas card is complete without a little bit of sparkle!

 

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Dovecraft - Christmas Blues
• Stamps: The Greeting Farm - Rain Snow Shine; Clearly Besotted Stamps - Modern Christmas
• Ink: Impress - Jet Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers
• Buttons: Stampin' Up - Designer Subtles Collection
• Die: MFT - Fishtail Flag Stax
• Glitter Glue: Stickles - Star Dust
• Jute twine from stash

 

Click here to visit the Sketch Saturday challenge blog to see what fabulous cards have been created by the Design Team.  And while you're there, don't forget to follow and link up for a multiple chance to win some fantastic prizes.

 

Have a lovely weekend and I hope to be back very soon.

 

 

Masculine Birthday

Hi there

Tonight I thought I would share with you a card I made last week but couldn't share until now in case the recipient saw it!

I really struggle with making cards for men so I'm not completely happy with this one but thought I'd share it anyway.

 

I used a few stamp sets from Clearly Besotted Stamps for this one.  I started with a white panel cut smaller than the card base and repeatedly stamped the chevron design to create the background.  Next I stamped the parcel, balloon and tag and die cut these with their matching dies.  I stamped the balloon string onto the background before mounting the parcel and balloon on top.  I then tied some ribbon (this was the hanging ribbon taken from one of my jumpers!) around the tag before mounting this on 3D foam.  I smothered the balloon in Glossy Accents to give it lots of shine, I remembered this after seeing this fab card by Michelle Short at The Card Grotto.  Unfortunately, as I'm far too impatient, I touched the balloon before it was dry (when will I ever learn?!) and ended up with a lovely finger print on it so I smothered a second layer over the top which did the trick and then left it overnight to dry!

 

I really must try more masculine cards, no matter how hard I try I never really end up liking them, they're just not pretty enough! :D

 

Materials used:

• Stamps & Dies: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Basic Chevrons, Make a Wish and Tag Along
• Ink: Versa Color - Cement, Indigo and Pacific; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Ranger - Glossy Accents
• Cardstock, dew drops and ribbon from stash

 

That's all for now folks.  Thanks so much for dropping by, your visits and comments are appreciated so much.

 

Bye for now