Sparkly Blue Butterflies

Hi, hope you are having or have had a good weekend!

I've been making butterflies today and thought these 2 would fit a few challenges.

At Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the theme is to use a big stamp. I recently bought this Hero Arts  leafy vines stamp. I trimmed  a section off for this layout so that I could fit my butterflies in.  The stamp takes up the whole card front! 

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is Clean & Simple. The design team are also showcasing Hero Arts. This butterfly is from the Hero Arts antique engravings set. It's the first time I've used this stamp and I've had the set for quite a few years!

At Addicted to Stamps & More the theme is to make your mark. Create a project using markers, pens, pencils etc. I coloured my butterflies with Inktense pencils.

At Mrs A's butterfly challenge the theme is glamorous butterflies. I embossed the vine in silver although it's a bit hard to see in the photo and I added diamond stickles to the edge of the wings. Looks pretty glamorous in real life!

Materials used: Hero Arts stamps; Inktense pencils; silver versacolor ink and silver fine embossing powder; Versafine ink and clear embossing powder; diamond stickles; bling and sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Mum's Window Garden

Hi, I've been using up more bits and pieces that were lying around. Painted paper flowers from another project and some diecuts I had done a while ago.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Scrapbook Boutique where they have this gorgeous inspiration pic.



At CASology the cue card is Garden.


I used snippets for the pink window and blind, so I'm visiting the playground again at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Materials used: Poppystamps window and flower box dies; distress inks; Craft Queen paper flowers painted with twinkling H2O's; Martha Stewart branch punch; Mpress fan border die; Sizzix brick embossing folder; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Yellow Birthday Flower

I'm still enjoying getting inky so have made a few more cards while I had the distress inks out.

I finally worked out a way to use my mini tattered flower dies in my cuttlebug. I've written down the sandwich that lets it fit through easily and still cuts well! It needs 3 cardboard shims so I've labelled them so they don't accidentally get tossed out.

The centre is a little paper flower that I bought from Craft Queen years ago, painted with twinkling H2O's.

I've used snippets of watercolor paper for the petals and spritzed them with home made gold perfect pearls. It's a bit hard to see the sheen in the photo. The stem is from my offcuts, I save some of the little strips that I trim from cardstock! Need to talk to someone about that obsession!!

I'm visiting the snippets playground again at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

At Inkspirational there's a sketch challenge.

'

I hope I haven't varied the sketch too much. My card halves are straight, not on the diagonal and I've moved the flower to 1 end rather than the middle.

Addicted to Stamps & More has an anything goes challenge theme.

I'm joining in for the first time at Time Out Challenges. They have a birthday theme with the optional twist of being masculine.

At Seize the Birthday, it's a birthday theme with an optional topping of white on white.

Materials used: Mini tattered flower die; distress inks; Petal Pleasures embossing folder; Memory Box leaves die; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Golden peacock

Hi, I decided to try another peacock with gold embossing this time.

I used the same technique as last time and blended distress inks over the embossed image,

then added some twinkling H2O's to the tail feathers.

I used some snippets of black and gold in my layers so I'm popping into the snippets playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

I''m slipping a 2nd entry into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is winged things, and also into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is animal antics.

Materials used: Inkadinkadoo stamp; gold ink and embossing powder; distress inks; twinkling H2O's.

Enjoy the rest of the Easter break and thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Inky peacock

Hi, I hope everyone is having a relaxing Easter break. I've been catching up on sleep and housework!

I bought this stamp a little while ago as I've always been fascinated by peacocks.

I'm going to link up to a few challenges.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge has a winged things challenge, while at 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is animal antics.

At Addicted to Stamps & More the theme is anything goes.
At Allsorts Challenge Blog the theme is birds and feathers.

Materials used: Inkadinkadoo stamp; gold versacolor ink; Jade pearl lustre embossing powder; distress inks; twinkling H2O's.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Stencilled fern fronds

Hi everyone, hope your weekend has been a good one. We got some cattle work done today so that left me feeling quite productive!

I had a play with a new metal stencil and distress inks to create this panel. I sponged bundled sage in the background and dabbed peeled paint with a finger dauber.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Addicted to CAS where the code word is Far Away. 

 I'm sending this to a friend who's recovering from surgery. He lives about 7 hours drive away and  I can't get down to see him. I think the fern leaves look as if they're reaching out into the distance so look far away too.

At Virginia's View Challenge the theme is stencilling. Virginia has lots of links and amazing examples for inspiration.

The Card Concept has a butterfly theme with this gorgeous pic for inspiration.

I think this card fits the clean and simple category.

Materials used: Dreamweaver fern stencil; distress inks; Hero Arts Antique Engravings butterfly stamp; Inktense pencils; Memory Box butterfly delight die; blue vellum; sentiment sticker and bling.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Turquoise butterfly

Hi, I stamped and fussy cut some butterflies a while ago and I've been painting some with twinkling H2Os.

 I was  inspired by a few challenges.

  Less is More has a touch of turquoise as it's colour theme.

I mixed a couple of H2O pots to create as close to turquoise as I could get. 

At The Card Concept the theme is to use a butterfly. I think my card fits the clean and simple category.

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is celebrating their 5th year of challenges and the theme is happy birthday.

Seize the birthday is an anything goes birthday with the option of buttons and rhinestones as a topping.

At Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge, the theme is springtime at last and to use yellow in your project with a butterfly.

Materials used: Hero Arts butterfly stamp; Memory Box woodland branch & fresh foliage dies; flower punch; twinkling H2Os; bling and sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting, have a great week,

Cathy x

Hearts & Rose

I made this card for a friend at work who was celebrating, a wonderful milestone, her 40th wedding anniversary. Luckily it was handed to her so I didn't have to worry about postage with the rose embellishment.

I'm going to link up to the challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More where the theme is clean and simple.

I'm also linking  to the anything goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Materials used: Memory Box La Rue heart die; shimmer paper; Stately embossing folder; rose from Inspired by Stamping; sentiment sticker and bling.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Peony revamp

I tried another vilene peony with a slightly different design as I still wasn't happy with the final card I made here.

I also revamped the wedding card by repositioning the flower slightly lower and adding another word to the sentiment.

 I like the balance a lot better now.

Have a great week,

Cathy x

Birthday VW

I stamped and fussy cut this image ages ago and decided to do something with it today.

I used Prismacolor pencils and the gamsol technique to colour it.

We used to have an old VW this colour when my boys were babies. It was too difficult to get 2 kids into child seats in the back so we had to sell it. I remember it fondly though and since I usually smile when I see a VW I'm going to link up to the challenge at Cuttlebug Mania where the theme is "to make us smile". Hope I'm not stretching the things too far!

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

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the team is celebrating their 5th year of challenges and want to see happy birthday creations.

I'm also linking to a couple of  challenges that are new to me.

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge, where the theme is all about travel, and

The Crafting Cafe where it's one for the boys.

Edited to add: I'm also linking to Paper Crafting Challenge, where the current theme is masculine, thanks for the info Kimberly :)

Materials used:

Stamps: Deep Red VW; Art Impressions aged to perfection.

Embossing Folders: Tiny Bubbles  & Heavy Duty.

Birthday sentiment sticker from stash.

Thanks for visiting, 

Cathy x

Wedding Peony

Hi, it's been one of those weeks where I get stuck on every thing I do in the craft room!

Hubby advised me to just put it all away and start again, so here we go LOL!

I wanted to join in the challenge at Inkspirational where the theme is to CASE (copy & share everything) one of Sandie's cards, from her blog London Days. I chose this one, isn't it stunning!

Sandie's card

I don't have any lacy or silk flowers so I was inspired to try some interfacing (vilene I think it's called) for my peony base by this card at Norine's blog. She used cheesecloth, which I didn't have either!

I cut another base from white shimmer paper and popped it underneath and used that for the top outline too.

I'm also linking up to the  

 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, the theme is anything goes.

I cut my scrolls from snippets of silver shimmer paper, so I'm popping over to the snippets playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Materials used: Memory Box lovely peony base & outline, and elegant scrollwork dies; Papertrey ink impression plate; shimmer papers; bling and sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy the rest of your weekend, 

Cathy x

White birthday flowers

Hi, I started this card on the weekend and have finished it while I'm away at my sister's place. I've none of my usual photography things with me, although she does have a little easel. So apologies first up as the pic is a bit shadowy.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Scrapbook Boutique. Here's the gorgeous inspiration pic.

It closes in a few hours so if you live in Australia there's still a little bit of time left.

I was also inspired by the challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch

Materials used: Dies: MFT flower : Memory Box Madeira corner: Spellbinders rectangle; Punch Bunch flower punch for the flower centres, coloured with sparkle gelly pens; white glitter paper; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting, have a great week.

Cathy x

Anniversary Cheers

Hi, I seem to be building up a stockpile of fussy cut images that I'm not sure how I'm going to use!

I stamped and embossed these glasses on a visit to my sister's. A friend kindly loaned us a few stamps, not sure of the brand, and we had a great time. So, it was good to finally use one.

I inked the image with Versamark and used my sticky embossing powder for the first time. You heat it until it melts then quickly sprinkle over the glitter. It seems to have worked ok.

I'm linking up to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Glitter. These glasses are really sparkly although the photo doesn't show it.

Materials used: Stamp unknown; glitter; Spellbinders dies; Rachel embossing folder; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Seashell Birthday

Hi, I was asked to make a male 30th birthday card for a recipient who loves snorkelling, boating and holidays.

 I was a bit stumped until I remembered this seashells embossing folder. I'd used it once to try it out on an old fridge calendar. The card stock is quite thick and the back was shiny but not too glossy. The distress ink dried well on it .

I diecut the numbers, sponged a few distress inks on them and dried with a heat gun. Then I stamped Versamark ink on them and clear embossed to give some shine. I cut another number from white and layered the blue ones on them to add some dimension.

I hope he likes his card.

I'm entering the challenge at Cuttlebug Mania where they are celebrating their 1st anniversary with a dotty challenge. You need to use a die or an embossing folder with a manual machine like a Big Shot or a Cuttlebug. I used the Tiny Bubbles embossing folder to add dots to my sentiment strip.

Since I used snippets of white and blue I'm off to the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop, there's always lots of fun happening there.

Materials used: Old fridge calendar- the sort that real estate agents give you for free; Shell Beauty and Tiny Bubbles embossing folders; distress inks; Papertrey Ink number die; Versamark ink and clear embossing powder; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your week,

 Cathy x

Purple Peony

 Hi, I've been having fun with watercolor effects again and a couple of new dies from Memory Box.

I diecut the background peony from watercolor paper and the peony outline from typing paper just to see what it looked like.

 I thought it would be good as a stencil to guide where I coloured the base, so held it there while I added some colour with a tombow marker. I kept the stencil in place while I blended the colour out with an aquapainter. I quite liked the white outline that was left behind.

Here's a pic of the outline stencil.

I'm going to link up to a few challenges.

At Less is More the theme is masking or stencilling.

At Addicted to Stamps & More the challenge is to Make your Mark with pens, pencils or similar colouring mediums.

At The Card Concept the theme is to create a birthday card in one of the designer's styles. There's a range to choose from so there's something for everyone. I think this card fits into the Clean and Simple category.

My black and shimmer paper layers are cut from leftover snippets so I'm also visiting the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Edited to add: I'm also going to link up to the  Moxie Fab World where the theme is Stencils: Styling with Stencils Challenge. I've used a diecut as a stencil.

Materials used: Memory Box Lovely Peony Outline and Background dies: Tombow marker; bling & sentiment sticker from stash.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Watercolor Dinghy

Hi again, it's my Dad's birthday in a couple of days. He loves fishing and goes on trips with a mate in their little boat.

This is my attempt at paper tole! I've cut and layered the boat and the rope to try and make them stand out more. I think I need to use thicker foam tape.

I coloured the image with Inktense pencils and blended with an aqua painter, so I'm going to enter

Virginia's View Challenge, a new challenge for me, where the theme is watercolor. 

I'm also linking up again to Addicted to Stamps where the theme is anything goes.

Materials used:

Stamp: Inky Antics Fishing Favourites

Inktense pencils; Divine Swirls embossing folder; Sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

White rose

Hi, I'm finally taking a break from housework to do a bit of crafting! It's hot and windy outside so the washing is drying in record time!

I used my new Penny Black rose die for the first time, and layered the cut out section to give some extra dimension. The flower is painted with a pearl white acrylic paint and the green is a couple of twinkling H2O's.

At The Card Concept there's still a little bit of time left in this colour challenge.

These colours have really grown on me! I think this card is in the Clean and Simple category.

At Addicted to Stamps & More, the theme is anything goes.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, the theme is Mother's Day or special girl.

At Cuttlebug Mania the theme is Happy Mother's Day. You also need to use a manual machine like a Big Shot or a Cuttlebug.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Lime & Brown tag

Hi, I was inspired by a few challenges to create this card.

The colours were from  The Card Concept .

Not colours I've used together before but they really appealed to me. I've used twinkling H20s to colour the butterfly and the flowers. I used polar white flower soft in the centres to lighten them up. I think this card is probably in the Clean & Layered category.

At A Blog Named Hero the theme is to use a stencil and a Hero Arts product .

I used my favourite Hero Arts butterfly from the Antique Engravings set. The stencil is a newbie, Tim Holtz burlap. I dabbed walnut distress ink through it, then sprayed it with Perfect Pearl Mist to get it to blend a bit.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is D for distress.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is to Tag It. I cut this tag from some promotional cards my sister gave me. Hopefully no one will ever see the back of it!

I think the tag may qualify as a snippet. The ribbon is an offcut from a shirt (to keep it on the coathanger), and the greenery is diecut from a snippet of green card. So I'm off to the playground again at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Materials used: Hero Arts Antique Engraving butterfly stamp; Heartfelt Creations flower stamp; Memory Box madeira corner die; Tim Holtz burlap stancil; distress ink; twinkling H2os; Perfect Pearls mist; flower soft; bling and sentiment sticker from stash.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Soccer Birthday

Hi, a colleague at work asked me to make a 30th birthday card for her son. He's a mad soccer fan. Hope he liked his card!

 

I brayered black soot distress ink onto the label side of this numbers embossing folder. I like the way it makes the numbers stand out.

I die cut a black and a white 3 and layered them for dimension. The soccer ball is a copyright free image that I downloaded and printed. To give it some texture I laid it on a snippet of card that had been embossed with a honeycomb folder. You can barely see it in the photo, but in real life the texture really stands out.

 

I'm going to link up to the following challenges:

At Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the theme is D for distress.

Snippets means I can visit the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

At Allsorts the theme is Sport.

At Sentimental Sundays, a new challenge for me, the theme is to create cards for a boy/man and to use a sentiment.

Materials used:
Cuttlebug number embossing folder; distress ink; Papertrey Ink number die; MBossabilities honeycomb embossing folder; sentiment sticker from stash;

Thanks for visiting :)
Cathy x
 

 



Filmstrip Birthday

Hi, I hope you've been enjoying your weekend. It's late Sunday afternoon here and I thought I'd finish off this project before I start getting things ready for work tomorrow.

I bought this filmstrip die to use with photo thumbnails. I don't do scrapbooking although I've made cards for my boys in the past that have included thumbnails of various pics from over the years. I usually mat the photos and spend ages trying to get straight and even edges!

I'm going to link up to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, the theme is tick tock. I've used pics through childhood to show time passing.

Just Add Ink, the theme is to just add a sunburst. I borrowed this sizzix embossing folder and distressed it with a couple of brown inks.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop, I cut 2 filmstrips from snippets of black cardstock and layered them together for more definition.

Materials use: Poppy stamps Bijou filmstrip die; Sizzix sunburst embossing folder; distress inks; thumbnail photos and sentiment sticker from stash.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x