Friday, 14 March 2025

Anything that flies for Seize the Birthday

 


Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and Linda wants us to add something that flies to our cards.


Or make a birthday card using anything you like!


Our party guest Leslie and my team mates have some gorgeous inspiration for you over at the blog, so I hope you get time to play along.

I have been making butterfly cards lately. I have some new hummingbird things in my stash but butterflies won out!

This card uses some new to me goodies from Altenew. I inked up the cardstock, embossed it then used a white inkpad to highlight the texture.

The butterfly is diecut from an ink swatch I made while playing with the colours!
The bottom layer is cut from vellum.
I spritzed the lot with some dazzling diamonds and some spatters of white gloss spray to finish.
Here's a closer look.


I'm linking up to these challenges:


Make My Monday, use a die or punch,
I've used tag and butterfly dies.

Allsorts, clean and simple


Supplies:
Sweet Jasmine 3D embossing folder, stencil and fresh dye inks from Altenew; MFT tag stax dies;
 Gina K white pigment ink; Creative Expressions mini happy birthday die and black gloss card; Memory Box glade butterfly die; Dazzling diamonds spray and Ranger white glossy acrylic spray; dimpled cardstock base.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Saturday, 8 March 2025

Happy Birthday Mum

 


Hi everyone, I was recently asked to make a large card for a friend's Mum.
They love butterflies and flowers and wanted turquoise, aqua and purple as the colours.
It's been ages since I used this butterfly die so thought it would suit the occasion.

I've tidied up my desk, but from memory I made the background with oxide sprays in salvaged patina and dusty concord and then used the same colours in distress spray stains. I inked up the edges with vintage photo distress ink, and added some spatters in Finetec gold watercolour paint. I also spattered some Alloy ink in statue to finish the background.

The butterfly was embossed on black card, love the fact that this folder diecuts the butterfly too!
I coloured it with wax pastes in mystic turquoise, amethyst magic and vintage silk.
I added some statue alloy to the body and wings for some metallic shine.

The sentiment is a Memory Box favourite of mine, diecut in gold metallic card and layered up for dimension. I used a capital letters die by Impression Obsession for the "Mum" as I think the size was a good match.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Cardz for Galz, special lady option

Just Us Girls, use a birthday themed die


Krafty Chicks, birthday


Little Red Wagon, B for Birthday


Simon Says Stamp Monday, favourite technique
More dry embossing
As You Like It, monochrome or colour
I like colourful cards although sometimes I struggle with colour combos! I like the depth and interest colour adds to cards.


Supplies:
 Dies: Waffle Flower A7 piercing layers; Sizzix 3D butterfly impresslit; Memory Box poe script happy birthday; Impression Obsession upper case alphabet; Memory Box oriel butterfly antennae.
Other: 5 x 7 card base; Oxide and distress spray stains in salvaged patina and dusty concord; vintage photo distress ink; Ranger statue alloy; Fientec gold paint; Art Alchemy vintage silk opal magic wax; Art Alchemy antique brilliance wax in mystic turquoise and amethyst magic.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Ferns and mushrooms

 


Hi everyone,
it's hubby's birthday today and this is the card I whipped up for him!

He's a gardener and loves mushrooms, so these new to me dies from Hero Arts seemed perfect.

I started by spritzing some distress spray stain in bundled sage, iced spruce and antique linen on some card.
Next I embossed it with a 3D fern folder, realized I had debossed instead of embossed so put it through again! Then I highlighted the texture with a white pigment ink pad and added some evergreen bough distress ink around the edges.

It looked a bit murky so I sprayed on some gold shimmer spray to lighten things up!
The ferns and shrooms are diecut from some scraps leftover from a Lindy's magical background.

I'm linking up to some challenges:


Dragonfly Dreams, gardening

Mix it Up Challenge, playing along with the optional layers theme

Simon Says Stamp Monday, favourite technique
dry embossing again.

Unicorn Challenge, Boys / Men

Supplies:
Dies: Hero Arts mushroom and ferns fancy dies: Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle; Memory Box parker numbers; Creative Expressions stacked happy birthday
Other: distress spray stains and ink; white pigment ink; 3D fern embossing folder; black glossy card stock; Lindys magicals; gold shimmer spray.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Friday, 7 March 2025

Birthday classic!

 


Hi everyone, I recently made a similar card for a friend who hit this milestone birthday!
My how time flies!!

The car was stamped, clear embossed and fussy cut then coloured with my chameleon pens and a metallic gel pen for the chrome.
I used some tiny stickers for the licence plate and a tyre tread embossing folder. I added a silver layer to the number and tried to offset it as a metallic shadow so it would pop a bit more.

I'm linking up to a few challenges:

I've chosen the diagonal metallic, green and diecuts.

Simon Says Stamp, use your favourite technique.
One of my top faves is dry embossing.

Little Red Wagon, B is for Birthday



Supplies:
Kanban retro cars stamp; Darkroom Door classic motorcycles sentiment stamp; Versafine Clair nicturne ink & clear ep; chameleon pens; silver metallic gel pen; Kaisercraft number dies; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die; Spellbinders kickin' rubber embossing folder.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Friday, 28 February 2025

No Stamping for Seize the Birthday

 


Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and Jules wants no stamping on the card.

Or add to your stash of birthday cards with our anything goes option.


Our party guest and my team mates have some great inspiration for you, so I hope you can play along.

I've had these dies in my stash for ages. 
The wavy vases, tiny tulips and eucalypt leaves are all from Gummiapan. The panel is diecut from Memory Box matinee layers and I've used the Stampin Up subtle embossing folder for the base. Finished off with a sentiment sticker - no stamps!

The vase was diecut from a tiny scrap leftover from an alcohol inked project. I need to make some more backgrounds as I don't have many scraps left! I added some shading to the flowers with my chameleon pens.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams, Clean and Simple


Try it on Tuesday, wet or dry embossing
Stampin Up subtle embossing folder used on the base and diecut panel.


Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Monday, 24 February 2025

Funky Town!

 


Hi everyone, as soon as I saw this die I had disco flashbacks lol!
 Helped along by the super talented Trina from Phamtastic Designs card here. Thanks for the inspiration Trina.
I thought I'd pair my crew with a colourful floral stencil to add to the groove. Might have my 60's mixed up with my seventies here!!

I used oxide inks for the stencilling and layered up the dancers and top sentiment for dimension.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

My Time To Craft, 123 recipe
I've used 1 stencil, 2 sentiments and 3 dancers.



Addicted to Stamps & More, I've used oxide inks through the stencil.


Since the stencil and dancers are new I'll also link up to Darnell's NBUS Challenge.


Supplies:

Waffle Flower daisy background stencil; oxide inks; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die; Whimsy Stamps retro dancers die; Waffle Flower party banners die; white shimmer card; birthday sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x


Friday, 14 February 2025

Add a Heart for Seize the Birthday

 


Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and JoAnn wants us to add a heart to our card.


Or play along with our anything goes birthday option.


Our party guests and my team mates have loads of inspiration for you so I hope you can play along.

Apologies for the dark photo, the slimline size is a bit too tall for my lightbox.

I attended the use your stash card making summit recently and the main takeaway was to have a look at what you have, simplify things by choosing just a few items at a time and just use them!

So, my designer paper pads, slimline dies and this rarely used sentiment die got an outing!
I had more fun inlaying the letters, and made another card using the negative diecut.
No room for a heart on this one though!


I'm linking up to these challenges:



Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge, playing along without the optional red theme


Edited to add: Also linking up to Word Power, thanks Darlene !


Supplies:
Craft Consortium ink drop candy designer papaer Pink & Main slimline dies; MFT big birthday wishes; Poppystamps heart confetti collage die; dimple textured card.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x





Friday, 7 February 2025

Love you hearts

 


Hi everyone, I've been trying to use some of my designer paper stash and thought these colours were perfect for hearts and romance!

I diecut the heart coverplate from the dp and 2 other pieces of white cardstock. Glued the white and dp hearts together so that each has 3 layers for dimension. It was easy to pop them back into the respective spaces.

The sentiment dies are cut from black glossy card stock for some shine and layered up for dimension too.

I'm linking up to these challenges:



Allsorts, playing along with the romance option


Double D, hearts



Simon Says Stamp Wednesday, love is in the air
Tic Tac Toe, I've gone with the top row; hearts, dp and love sentiment.


Supplies:
Heart coverplate die - not sure of the brand; Poppystamps swirled love and Simon Says Stamp you dies;
Craft Consortium ink drops candy; black gloss cardstock.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x