Holiday Poinsettias

Hi again, I've used some new things that have been sitting around making me feel guilty LOL!

I'm linking up to a few challenges.

Scrapbook Boutique has this gorgeous inspiration pic.

Addicted to Stamps & More has a holiday theme.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is anything goes.

Supplies:

Poppy stamps blooming poinsettia die; Annabelle Stamps border die; creamy gold shimmer paper; stickles; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Butterfly & dots

Hi again, it feels like ages since I've made a card.

Life has been very busy lately with one thing or another and it's been difficult to find time to relax!

I've stamped another little used butterfly and re used a layout from ages ago.

I thought I'd case some of my own cards to get into the mood again!

I'm linking up to the challenge at Addicted to CAS where the theme is dots.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is anything goes.

Supplies:

Penny Black butterfly stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; Memory Box circle burst die; tombow markers; Annabelle Stamps sentiment; black pearls.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Blue butterfly

Hi, I haven't used this butterfly stamp for ages. I have a few that I haven't used at all!

I should stamp them all onto some A4 paper and put them in a folder so I can

see what I have and use more of them more often.

Sounds like a plan for the holidays.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More

where the theme is to make your mark with paints, markers or pencils.

I stamped and fussy cut the butterfly then coloured it with Prismacolor pencils.

At Time Out Challenges the theme is any type of embossing with an optional twist of adding some sparkle.

I used clear embossing powder when I stamped the butterfly and embossed the background. I added some bling for sparkle.

Edited to add: I'm also going to link up to a new challenge for me, Uniko Studio Challenge
where the theme is anything goes, or to use the sketch. Thanks for the suggestion Sandie!

Supplies:

Memory Box Wonderland butterfly stamp; Cuttlebug oriental weave embossing folder; prismacolor pencils; sentiment sticker and bling.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Wish upon a star

Hi, I've been struggling with very slow internet at home, so apologies for my lack of visits!

I had a few bits and pieces left over from other projects and thought I'd put them together to fit the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday we're seeing stars.

I'm also linking up to the challenge at Virginia's View Challenge where the theme is metallic.

I used snippets of silver shimmer paper for the scrolls so I'm also visiting the snippets playground at Pixie's crafty Workshop.

Supplies:

Memory Box elegant scroll die (cut up); Papertrey Ink sentiment stamp; Judikins star stamp; stars embossing folder; silver shimmer paper; silver ink and embossing powder; distress inks and bling.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Brusho tag - snowflakes or fireworks!

Hi, this is another brusho experiment from yesterday.

I wanted to use this snowflake stamp and modified a snowflake die to match the shape.

I'm joining Loll's twelve tag's of christmas link up.

There are lots of gorgeous tags and I think it's almost closed so I'm just scraping in. There are already some beautiful snowflake tags, so I nearly didn't add mine, but thought I would as I used a different product for the background.

I hand cut the tag from a scrap of watercolour paper, stamped some white snowflakes and white embossed. Then I spritzed it with water and sprinkled on some brusho powders and spritzed a little more to blend the colours.

The white snowflakes were lost in the blues so I re stamped and embossed over the top in silver. I did the same to the sentiment and added a black layer as it gave it more dimension.

This is a mixed media linkup so I've used stamps, ink, brushos, and added more dimension with multicoloured embossing, the metal diecut snowflake and bling.

Since I used a scrap of watercolour paper and a snippet of metal sheet I'm also going to visit the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

 I've got a thermos of tea and some cake to munch on while I wait for the gates to open.

Supplies:

Memory Box Rizza snowflake die ( I cut off some of the details); metal sheet; brushos; Bo Bunny snowflake stamps; Annabelle Stamps sentiment; white, silver and black inks and clear embossing powder.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Brusho ornament

Hi again, I spent yesterday playing with my new brusho powders.

 It was way too hot to do much else.

 We're in for another day above 42 Celsius today too. We got some new chooks late last week and the poor things are probably wondering where they've come to!

I diecut this drop ornament from a scrap of watercolor paper, spritzed it with water and sprinkled on the brusho powder. I then spritzed it with perfect pearls for some shine.

The colours are so intense in real life.

I'm linking up to a few challenges.

At Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the theme is ornaments.

At CASology it's a festive cue card.

Inkspirational has a shine theme.

At Addicted to Stamps & More it's an anything goes theme.

Supplies:

Memory Box dies; Brusho powders; perfect pearl spray; Stately embossing folder; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

 Cathy x

Kombi Birthday

Hi again, it feels like ages since I've made a card.

There are a few family birthdays this month so I'd better get back into it!

I stamped and fussy cut this kombi and coloured it with inktense pencils.

 I was inspired by the colour challenge at 

Color Throwdown

I'm also linking up to the challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More

where the theme is anything goes.

Supplies:

Kanban stamp; inktense pencils; glossy accents; MBossabilities embossing folder;

 sentiment sticker; peace sign brad.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

For a friend

 

Hi again,

 I made this card for a friend who's going through a difficult time at the moment.

This is a similar layout to one I've used recently done in purples. I don't think I've ever coloured a butterfly green before but I like it.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday

where the theme is thinking of you.

Supplies:

Poppystamps Bailiwick background die; Memory Box flower & label die and butterfly stamp; Prismacolor pencils; vellum; twinkling H2Os; stickles; bling. sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Enjoy the rest of your week, Cathy x

Butterflies with designer paper

Hi again, I made this card with some butterflies I had coloured a while ago and a scrap of cotton handmade paper that I've had for ages.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

where the theme is anything goes.

Since I used a snippet of dp I'm also popping over to the snippets playground

at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Supplies:

Hero Arts antique engravings butterfly stamp and sentiment stamp; inktense pencils; Signature Sensations dp; bling.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Thanks for visiting, Cathy x

Getting to know you blog hop

Hi again, you've probably seen posts like these around blogland recently and may have gotten to know more about cards and their makers. I thought I'd post a pic of me as an introduction!

I was tagged by Susanne Vargas of Keep in Touch, she creates amazing cards in a variety of styles, like this gorgeous card. 

Pop over for a visit, you'll be so glad you did.

Now to answer some questions!

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I sell some of my cards locally so am always making a variety of cards, and I'm also starting my christmas cards.

I used to make ornaments for our tree with my boys when they were younger, and like that these metallic baubles can be hung on a tree, but may end up just putting one on each card to save time!

 I'll probably make a few more like this one and then will do some simpler ones like the turquoise baubles to send to family and  friends.

What inspires your designs?

I get inspired visiting blogs and I like entering challenges.

 I have a table drawn up with the names of challenges, the current theme and when they close so that when I make a card I can see at a glance if it fits the criteria. 

The design teams do a wonderful job and I get a lot of inspiration from them and the other entries too.

What method/process do you apply to each of your creative projects, and how long does each take to complete?

I'm sometimes asked to make a card for someone that has a particular hobby or likes a certain colour.

For this card I was asked to make a 30th birthday card for a guy that loved speed cycling.

I knew I had a bicycle die and

that I wanted to modify it, so this card didn't take very long.

At other times I'll see what challenges are happening and be inspired by one of their themes. I'll usually work out what I'm going to use then take ages to decide on colours and placement. I'll sometimes sketch out my design on a scrap of card sized paper.

 I'm painfully slow at times!

I also like to stamp, fussy cut and colour butterflies or flowers so that I have them on hand for projects. 

Sometimes that means I make a lot of butterfly cards !

If you had to describe your signature style, what would it be?

I tend to make clean and simple cards, although they may be not strictly CAS, as I often have embossed backgrounds and I'm never sure whether that counts as white space!

I do love distress inks and have tried to experiment with other styles but I think the card still ends up looking a bit CAS.

What are three crafting products/tools you can't live without?

1.My cuttlebug. Nearly every card I make has embossing or die cuts on it.

2. My heatgun. I rarely stamp without heat embossing the image. I love the raised outline it gives for colouring. I'm also too impatient to wait for inky projects to dry by themselves!

3. My curved scissors. I bought them for $5 at a craft show and they make fussy cutting so easy. 

And now I get to nominate another crafter for you to get to know.

Karen Mead from Made by Meadie.

Karen makes gorgeous CAS cards and I'm in awe of her fabulous stamping.

Here is one of Karen's beautiful cards.

Find out more on November 10 when Karen joins the blog hop.

Thanks for visiting, Cathy x